FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 89 



made. She cares for its food, aud should see that it is sufficient in quantity 

 and quality. The condition of the physical is almost entirely supervised 

 by the mother, and whatever the factor that shall be used^ in its general 

 and moral development, there should the counsel and advice of intelligent 

 mothers be. Some one asks if this would not interfere with the duties of 

 the Board. Who are the Board? Your servants. Through the power 

 of the ballot you have chosen them : now give them your wishes as to how 

 the work should be done. They should know that only the best interests 

 of the children are in mind, and that only after mature thought and study ' 

 and wise deliberation on the part of the mothers. 

 We have been pained at 



THE PHYSICAL RESULTS 



of a course in many of our high schools. Instead of graduating with a 

 strong vigorous body, it is wasted, worn and nervous. The mind fre- 

 quently has been crowded to its utmost and the body has suffered, and 

 frequently will suffer for years to come. Is this wise; is it best? Can 

 we mothers set supinely by and only lament the facts as they exist, when 

 we feel that the health of our children is being destroyed, perhaps never 

 to be regained? We trust we may not be thought straining a point when 

 we say we believe that much of the breaking down of our youth while 

 in school may be attributed to the 



LACK OF PROPER NUTRITION 



in the kind, quality and preparation of its food. When a girl breakfasts 

 from a doughnut and a cup of coffee, or buckwheat cakes and sausage, we 

 cannot feel that the brain or nerves are going to be very well sustained 

 that day; when it dines or lunches from rich cookies, pie, and cake it is 

 not in very good shape to do good mental work. And when from the 

 same kind of cooking it makes a hasty supper and then spends late hours 

 at some social function, it can not be at its best for any demands that may 

 be laid upon it. If every function of the body was well sustained by 

 good body and brain food; when they slept at least nine hours, or better 

 ten out of the twenty-foui% we are sure that fewer would break down 

 physically at the close of a course in school or college. 



Said a mother, ''I can feed a calf and have it do its best, and I can feed 

 'a goose to perfection, but I do not know what is the best food for my 

 nervous, frail girl, or for my rapidly growing 14-year-old boy — and both 

 in school." And she strongly emphasized the las^t clause. It is some- 

 thing few mothers do know, but we believe the next generation will. 

 Would it not be wise for some of us mothers if in our clubs, mothers' 

 meetings, granges, farmers' clubs, and Institutes, the study of foods 

 and their relation to the system be taken up? That domestic science, 

 hygiene and sanitation be subjects under discussion and that text books 

 along this line be studied. Of course to the mothers of today this would 

 be but a smattering, but a half loaf is better than no loaf, particularly 

 if the half is thoroughly digestible (and digested) and made to do its most 

 and best. We believe this a duty we owe our children, our teachers and 

 our schools. 

 Mrs. Lew Wallace says, ''I plead for a childhood of the soul as well as 

 12 



