_Rest_, to be of value, must be systematically taken. Bearing in mind the shrinking in size of the nerve-cells after stimulation caused by work, and that they recovered their normal size in relatively less time if the shrinkage were less, it becomes obvious that, in order to accomplish the best work, whether purely mental, or of the more complex mental and physical work demanded of the mother who is at the same time the housewife, that a break in the day’s work will aid in securing the best results. The exact time of the daily _siesta_ must be adapted to the family régime, but a fixed hour should be set aside for this purpose, and this should be known as the mother’s hour, and nothing short of a catastrophe should be allowed to infringe on it. The woman should retire to her bed-room, undress, and go to bed. The room should be darkened, and at the same time there must be an abundant supply of fresh air. One soon forms the habit of taking a short nap, of perhaps half an hour; one hour should be spent in bed. After this, she gets up, takes a shower or other bath, dresses, and is then ready to enjoy life and be a comfort to her family. In this way alone can absolute relaxation, rest of mind, and body be secured. =Avocation.=—Second only to the physiologic necessity for a vocation in life, is the necessity for an avocation, and this must be in the nature of a recreation. It is a well-known fact in farming that any one kind of crop will exhaust the very best soil, but few people recognize the necessity for a change of occupation and recreation in order to produce the best mental and physical results. Joyless drudgery drains the springs of health. There is a mental starvation, due to the lack of recreation, as well as the physical, due to the lack of bread. The French aristocrats, noted for the gaiety of their pastimes, in spite of their dietetic and other sins, furnish a remarkable list of longevity. Persons of a cheerful disposition are generally long-lived, and anything tending to counteract the influence of worry and discontent directly contributes to the preservation of the health. Despair, which frequently results from years of overwork, can paralyze the energies of vital functions like a sudden poison, while hope fulfilled has cured many a disease. The nature of the avocation chosen will necessarily depend upon the character of the vocation. For women whose vocations are intellectual and sedentary, as writers, teachers, stenographers, etc., some outdoor employment, which calls into activity the muscles of the body, rests the eyes and brain, and, at the same time, pleasantly occupies the mind, is the best, as walking, gardening, lawn-tennis, golf, rowing, etc. For all women engaged in sedentary occupations, daily exercise in the open air is the first essential, and let them be assured that their feelings of fatigue and disinclination to exercise are no safe guide as to their ability to take exercise.