BREAD. The health and happiness of a family depend, to a certain extent, on good, well-baked bread. At all events, our enjoyment would be greater if it were only better prepared. We make the following extract from an article printed by the State Board of Health, concerning the food of the people of Massachusetts: "As an example of good bread we would mention that which is always to be had at the restaurant of Parker's Hotel, in Boston. It is not better than is found on the continent of Europe on all the great lines of travel, and in common use by millions of people in Germany and France; but with us, it is a rare example of what bread may be. It is made from a mixture of flour, such as is generally sold in our markets, water, salt, and yeast--nothing else. The yeast is made from malt, potatoes, and hops. _The dough is kneaded from one and a half to two hours, and is then thoroughly baked."_ The truth seems to be that the kneading, which in this country takes the housewife's time and muscle, in Europe is done by the help of machinery. So here, in large villages and cities, people might furnish themselves with good bread, by means of co-operative associations, even at a less cost than at present. BEVERAGES. WATER. The importance of water in the economy of nature is obvious to all. It is the most abundant substance of which we have knowledge. It composes four-fifths of the weight of vegetables, and three-fourths of that of animals. It is essential to the continuance of organic life. Water is universally present in all of the tissues and fluids of the body. It is not only abundant in the blood and secretions, but it is also an ingredient of the solids of the body. According to the most accurate computations, water is found to constitute from two-thirds to three-fourths of the entire weight of the human body. The following table, compiled by Robin and Verdeil, shows the proportion of water per thousand parts in different solids and fluids: QUANTITY OF WATER IN 1,000 PARTS. Teeth, 100 Bones, 130 Cartilage, 550 Muscles, 750 Ligaments, 768 Brain, 789 Blood, 795 Synovial fluid, 805 Bile, 880 Milk, 887 Pancreatic juice, 900 Urine, 936 Lymph, 960 Gastric juice, 975 Perspiration, 986 Saliva, 995