takes of the
past; she will do everything in her power to gain the training that is
necessary for her to meet successfully and inspiringly the duties and
privileges of the new era.

CHAPTER XV

HEALTH AND A DAY

No one can be the highest type of philosopher unless in exuberant
health.

_Epictetus._

CHAPTER XV

HEALTH AND A DAY

"Give me health and a day and I will make ridiculous the pomp of
emperors!" cried Emerson.

The ultimate use of health is to make us happy, and the deepest hurt of
sickness is that it destroys our power of enjoyment. Moreover, since our
happiness when we are at our human best, consists in adding to the
welfare and happiness of others, our highest in life is sadly crippled
when we allow disease to get the better of us. If we desire to be happy,
we should, as the Camp Fire Girls' law says, "hold on to health" and
with a tight grip.

It used to be thought that health was a gift of heaven bestowed on
certain of its favorites. You had it or you did not have it: that was
all there was about it. By pious behavior and prayer perhaps we might
gain this benefit from the partial hand of heaven--perhaps not! And if
you did anything to help yourself directly to a larger portion of vigor,
ate heartily, or took an invigorating walk, you were in danger of
indulging a selfish spirit that should be curbed.

We have now changed all that belief. We do know that we may inherit
certain disproportions, certain maladies, that interfere with our
soundness; these we have to fight against. Knowing them, we can fight
intelligently. Our duty lies in taking the resources of strength that we
possess, and making the most of them. We are to give ourselves the
largest opportunity to make ourselves useful to our friends and to our
world in general as much as we may with the portion of vigor that we
receive by inheritance, and we are to develop that portion as much as we
possibly can. Doing something for ourselves will sometimes be the
greatest unselfishness.

This teaching the Country Girl should take to heart. It is her duty to
recognize the great value of her physical vigor to the life of her
realm, and to do all in her power to conserve it and to increase it. She
should think of this not only because she is of tremendous importance in
the home of to-day and because its happiness depends in large measure
upon her buoyancy and cheer and hopefulness, which may so easily be
increased or d