the open country or in
the small village is more likely, all other things being equal, to keep
her hold upon life than any other girl in the land.

It is said that sixty per cent. of the school children in the country
suffer from removable physical defects. The countryside has its share of
these. Fortunately for girls, life force is more persistent with them
than with boys, and women are longer-lived than men.

Sometimes fate deprives the home of the mother, and then heavy burdens
fall to the daughter, too heavy for her young and undeveloped body. It
is then that the young girl feels the necessity for a better
understanding of her physical needs. Wanting this, life-long suffering
may be the result of undertaking severe labor ere yet her health is
thoroughly established or her maximum growth has been gained.

There is much, then, for every young woman on the farm both to study and
to practise. The following code of rules is suggested as an aid and as a
reminder:

CODE OF RULES FOR MAINTAINING HEALTH

_Bodily carriage_

Hold the head erect.
Keep the chest high.
Hold the abdomen in.
Rest the weight of the body on the balls of the feet.
Keep this position constantly, by day and by night.
When lying down, stretch out; do not curl up.

_Exercise_

Make a special study of the proper times for exercise and take a
normal amount of it at those times.
Let nothing induce you to undertake severe bodily work or strain
when the body is not in a condition to sustain the strain.
When all conditions are right for it, take a good deal of joyous
exercise. (No one can regulate this for any girl but the girl
herself.)
Learn some systematic exercises and practise them every day.
Systematize the exercise in housework as far as possible and
supplement it when needed by long walks and hill-climbing.

_Correct breathing_

Take long breaths of fresh air on rising and frequently through
the day.
Breathe always through the nose and from the diaphragm.
Keep the air in the room fresh by day and by night.
Breathe deeply to keep the mind clear, the blood pure, and the
spirits buoyant.

_Clothing_

Let the weight of clothing hang from the shoulders.
Have the clothing loose enough to allow free play of the diaphragm
in breathing and of the limbs in exercise.
Protect the feet and ankles from exposure to wet and cold.
Keep the chest well protected but do not over-wra