HAPPY and successful life depends prima

rily on health and physical vigor. Our greatest material service to a child is to perfect his physical equipment. Too many parents and guardians are ignorant of the interrelation of physical health and moral health, and too many who are informed on the subject fail to give the child the benefit of their knowledge.

It is now generally known that morbid bodily conditions often lead to insanity and crime among adults. Surely it requires no great power of deduction to see that even slight abnormalities operate unfavorably, according to their severity, and that children, too, are susceptible-more so than grown-ups. Who that has seen infantile convulsions as a result of intestinal disorders can fail to comprehend the possibilities of the body's influence over mind and morals? That ill health often works insidiously does not alter the fundamental facts; if one man, demented by autointoxication, suddenly kills himself “in a fit of despondency," while another suicides after years of "failing health," caused by sluggish bowels, what's the difference? None, except in the matter of time; in the first case the enemy slays with one blow, in the second he prefers to use stealth.

The physically healthy child has an infinitely better chance to be normal mentally and morally than has his ailing brother. The healthy child has little chance for introspection. We know that illness prompts some youngsters to avoid play; they shun their schoolmates, and in turn are shunned. Self-seclusion breeds a "grouch;" some little folks develop an astounding pessimism. Of course, the effects are cumulative, the less he "mixes" the less he cares to and the weaker he gets; and the weaker he becomes the more 'different" he seems to himself.

From morbid introspection come self-consciousness and envy. I shall deal with selfconsciousness in a future article; its importance is greatly underestimated by parents. Envy

soon demands action; imaginary grievances are just as insistent on redress as real ones, and cause nearly as much trouble. Perverted ideas of justice, belief in revenge, etc., are often traceable to no other cause than ill health and its consequent hyper-sensitiveness.

The healthy child is less likely to be selfish. Puny little folks are apt to be peevish and unreasonable in their demands. Their parents and teachers frequently do not oppose them, fearing further to injure the fragile health. Selfish children, unchecked, become selfish men and women, and if selfishness isn't a blemish in character, what is? Perhaps the sovereign antidote for juvenile selfishenss is to force the child to play easy games and mix, reasonably, with healthy persons of his own age.

At most, outside influence is but a modifier; every child will lead his own life. The great director within him is habit; we must do everything in our power to see that he forms regular and healthful habits. Teach him to attend to his bowel action every day at the same time— or as near it as may be practicable. Insist that he get ample sleep each night, and show again in this matter the value of establishing regularity. Explain the virtues of thorough mast1cation and frequent water-drinking. These and similar hygienic habits can be instilled in any normal child at a very early age, and once formed are likely to stick to him through life. Neither coddling nor extreme exposure is advisable. Teach the child to seck the outdoors by preference; many things commonly done in the house are entirely practicable on the porch or lawn. Teach him never to be warmer than necessary. The necessity for artificial heat grows on us all so easily! He should play out the year round. The common games of childhood make for health and hardihood. As he grows older see that he takes up swimming, rowing and tennis for the summer; and skating, snowshoeing, etc., for the winter. As parent, you should remember that the growing years are the golden period