Ekments of a Good Life 3 



fairly sound physical and mental inheritance on the 

 part of the child and the given environment as the 

 raw materials of construction, what ideals should 

 parents have uppermost in mind before undertaking 

 the tremendously important and interesting duties 

 of constructing worthy manhood and womanhood 

 out of the inherent natures of their children ? 



1. Good health. It is a difficult task to develop 

 a sound, efficient life without the fundamental 

 quality of good health. So it may be well to remind 

 parents of this fact and to urge them especially to 

 avoid in the lives of the children, first, the beginnings 

 of those lighter ailments which frequently grow into 

 menacing habits for example, the diseases that 

 become chronic as a result of unnecessary exposure 

 to the weather and second, those various con- 

 tagious diseases which so often permanently deplete 

 the health of children, such as scarlet fever and 

 whooping cough. It is now held by medical 

 authority that every reasonable effort should be 

 made to prevent children from taking such infectious 

 ailments that the so-called diseases of children can 

 and should be practically all avoided. 



2. Usefulness. The newer ideals of character- 

 building call for the early training of all children as 

 if they were to enter permanently upon some bread- 

 winning pursuit. Such training is a most direct 

 means of culture and refinement, provided it be cor- 

 related with the proper amount of book learning and 



