“Now think of your gentleman’s attire. Of his uncomfortable plug hat into which he forces his head; of his high stiff collar; his inflexible cuffs and shirt-front; his high-heeled boots with little room for his toes; his roasting himself in a coat and vest on a hot day, because he induces his female companions to think that it is not _fashionable_ to look on shirt-sleeves. “Do not forget to think of your little helpless children, wearing short dresses and having their lower limbs exposed to the vicissitudes of the weather. How they are often so dressed that they can scarcely move about in their work and play. How their parents frequently forbid them to play in their ‘best clothes,’ just as if the clothes are more valuable than the children’s health; and last of all, think of the amount of paint and powder you must use on the faces of both men and women to hide the sickly color caused by the numerous violations of the laws of life and health in your style of dressing and in your other modes of living. Thousands of comparatively poor victims are, on certain occasions, endeavoring to sprout a puny artificial rose on their fallen cheeks and faltering lips, but such roses always wilt before they are fairly unfolded. They lack internal vigor. “But allow me to say again that you must not think that I ridicule your conduct, nor that we like beauty and grace less than you do. We believe, however, that beauty and grace can not be obtained to any considerable extent by face powder, paint and injurious fashionable dressing. By a longer lapse of time, our artistic taste has slowly adjusted itself more and more in harmony with natural, healthful appearances. We, by living as nearly as we can in tune with the phenomena of life and health, solicit nature to develop a strong, healthy body, a bold, vigorous mind, a graceful form, pleasant, cheerful features, round, roseate cheeks, purple lips, bright eyes and an elastic step. “The robe of health, cheerfulness, and bodily and mental attainments is a more dressy garment than any other we can wear, and we, therefore, make every act of our life count to obtain this envied garment in the most natural and ornamental style. For ages we believed and acted like you are now doing, tried to obtain it by deceiving nature with paint and injurious fashion, but, by long and patient observation and experiment, and by millions of wrecked constitutions and premature deaths, we, at last, learned that our expectation of deceiving nature was completely futile. This beautiful, costly robe of nature which adorns the body from within outward can be purchased only at the store of Truth, for every violation of truth taints its beauty.” “Mr. Midith, you have not yet told us anything about your particular sports and amusements,” said Viola. “You have so much time to spend in that way that you ought to be almost perfect in all sports and amusements.”