ty
and spasmodic nature of the demands which society makes upon its women?
Are there any girls in the world so ready to rush headlong into all
kinds of exercise, mental or physical, which may be recommended to them,
as our American girls? It is a pity that, to balance our greater amount
of fiery energy in the matter of education, we have not a sounder
philosophy.

Once more, physical life is only a balance of forces, as spiritual life
is a series of choices, and the question is not simply how much
intellectual or brain work we are doing. This question cannot justly be
considered apart from the other inquiry, of how much appropriate
material we are supplying for the use of the brain. We cannot judge
whether the amount of force expended be healthful or unhealthful till we
know how much force has been and can be generated. There is undoubtedly
a limit to this last factor in our problem, but if we do not exceed this
limit in our expenditure, it seems unquestionable, that the more brain
work we do, the better will it be for the entire system, and the
stronger will be our health, this being only our power actively to
resist the destructive forces of nature.

The nervous system, at the head of which stands the brain, is
undoubtedly the regent of the monarchy of the body, whose sovereign is
the thinking spirit; and all the organs in a well-regulated body should
be worked in the interest of the organ of thought, as servants for a
wise and watchful master. It seems sometimes as if we were in danger of
forgetting that though "the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need
of thee, nor again, the head to the feet, I have no need of you," there
will come a time when the thinking spirit, grown to full stature, shall
say to all of them, "I have no need any longer of any of you."

The consideration of the subject of Ventilation properly comes under
this division, for pure air is as much food for the body, as meat or
bread. This whole matter, however, seems to be practically not well
understood, if we may judge from the results so far, and no extended
discussion of the means will be in place there. It is sufficient simply
to indicate its immense importance. But that bad air is likely to be a
more active cause of disease in America than elsewhere seems true, for
in no other country are furnaces and closed fire-places in so general
use. Moreover, the women and girls who spend most of their lives in the
house, will be expected to show