Out-of-door exercise is always to be preferred to in-door when one has a choice. Walking, tennis, archery, horseback, and swimming are some of the athletic sports for girls, and they all have their attractions. But there are times when we are denied the pleasure of these pastimes, and then we are glad of a little exercise in-doors, which also affords enjoyment and recreation. [Illustration] CHAPTER XXXIII. A DECORATIVE LANGUAGE. WHEN in olden times the warriors went around the country dressed in suits of clothes made by a blacksmith instead of a tailor, their hats were manufactured at the forge also, and had _iron front doors_ that moved upon hinges. When danger was nigh these doors were closed, locked, and barred over the poor men’s heads, leaving only a loop-hole or two for them to peep through. At such times in meeting Mr. Brown it was impossible to distinguish him from Mr. Smith, who was arrayed in like manner, and it might happen that Mr. Smith was the last man in the world that one cared to meet, not being on speaking terms or some such reason. Well, as we were saying, there was no chance whatever of telling one man from another unless he wore a distinguishing mark of some kind. So to prevent such uncomfortable mistakes and to distinguish friend from foe, every gentleman had to be marked and labelled, like an express package, so one might read as he ran, “I am Earl Jenkins, of Thunderland, who married a Rhazor, of Stropshire.” These names and addresses were not painted in words on their owners with a marking-brush, but worked and embroidered in translatable designs on cloaks, saddle-housings, and silken banners, or emblazoned on the shield they carried with which to meet the advances of their neighbors. Since that time our more recent ancestors in England have taken great pride in preserving and handing down from generation to generation these distinguishing marks, as a guarantee to their children that they came of gentle birth, which is very interesting and gratifying for European girls, but American girls need nothing of the kind; it is sufficient that we are Americans. Of course, some of us do take pleasure in knowing that our great-great-grandparents came over in the Mayflower, or that the name of an ancestor is among the signatures upon that Declaration of Independence which made such a stir a century ago, for that proves us to be Columbia’s daughters. When there was no other method of distinguishing a man his label became a very important item; so these family devices were reduced to a science and protected by law. The old countries’ coats of arms may remain abroad, where they belong, but the ingenious scheme, that was gradually evolved, of picturing ideas, mottoes, and pretty sentiments we will adopt as our inheritance, with many thanks to our mediæval ancestors with the metallic clothes, who bequeathed them to us.