You know how careful we are all trying to be not to let consumption spread. By insisting that all houses shall be built so as to give plenty of light and fresh air to everyone; and by forbidding spitting upon the streets; and by insisting that food to be sold, especially milk, shall be clean,--by preventing the spread of the disease in every way, our Boards of Health have cut down the number of deaths from this disease nearly one half; and people in the United States, for instance, or in England, where these health laws are enforced, live now almost exactly twice as long on the average as they did one hundred years ago, or as they do now in India and in Turkey, for instance, where the people are ignorant and dirty and careless. So you see that even if some of the health regulations do seem rather troublesome and fussy, it is well worth while to try to follow them and help the health inspectors in every way. Even little children can help very much in keeping the houses and the cities in which they live clean and healthful and beautiful. WORK AND PLAY I. GROWING STRONG When school is over, out you go with a rush, into the open air. You have worked hard all day, and now you have two hours before supper to do just as you like. Perhaps you will play tag, or prisoner's base, or stealing sticks, or town ball. They are all fine fun, and they exercise every muscle in your body and make your lungs breathe deeper and your heart beat faster, and make every part of you grow stronger. [Illustration: BETTER TO TAKE THAN MEDICINE] Perhaps you have a few chores to do or errands to run; but even these are almost as much fun as play and give you good exercise in the open air and, what is better still, a feeling that you are being of some use in the world, which is one of the happiest and most satisfactory feelings that you will ever have, if you live to be a hundred years old. [Illustration: OUT FOR AN AFTERNOON IN THE PARK] But when you have finished your work, you must not forget to play real, lively, jolly games out of doors--ball and tag and hide-and-seek, and all those games that children love. Hide-and-seek is a good game, because, when you are caught, you can stand still a few minutes and rest. When you are hiding, you can take a good breath for the home-run you have to make. Most games, in fact, are planned like this--a run and a rest, and then another run. While you rest, some one else is taking his turn at the bat, or at being "It," or whatever is the hardest part of the work. This is one reason why games are so good for you to play.