DUST AND CLEANLINESS 41 



Microbes that give consumption are thick in the saliva 

 of men and women who have that disease. These peo- 

 ple are often careless. They spit on the street, where 

 the saliva dries after a while ; passers-by step on it and 

 crush it ; ladies brush it around with their skirts ; it gets 

 into the air ; the wind blows it through our streets into 

 our homes and our schoolhouses ; it settles in our car- 

 pets and our curtains; we breathe it into our lungs, 

 and if we are not very strong the microbes stay there 

 and end by giving us the disease itself. 



This is such a dreadful prospect that some cities have 

 made laws against spitting in public places. Some 

 people still do it, however, and that is why we should 

 not breathe the dust in the street, and why we should 

 banish it from our schoolrooms and our homes. 



Nevertheless, in spite of all we can do, it will get in 

 sometimes ; then comes the important question of dust- 

 ing. Some people have a queer way of doing it. I have 

 seen them go round switching things with a feather 

 duster. The dust flies up at once and floats in the sun- 

 beam, while the woman herself breathes it until it settles 

 down again. If the windows are open some of it gets 

 out of doors; otherwise it stays here and there in the 

 room. It is scattered, that is all. 



A soft, damp, dusting cloth is better than a feather 

 duster; but if this is likely to injure anything, use a dry 

 cloth and shake it out of the window very often. 



