The Girls' Reading-Book

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1875. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... SECTION II.--Household Comfort. Chapter I.--On Good Health. It was once said by a clever writer, who knew a great deal of human nature, that he did not believe that there was any man in the world who would like to have the most beautiful and charming woman that ever lived for his wife, or the finest house that ever was built to live in, or the largest fortune that ever was made to spend, if he could only have these good things on condition of walking about continually with two or three small, sharp stones in his shoe! The meaning of this is, that even what sounds like a very trifling amount of bodily discomfort, is able to make anyone so uneasy that he cannot forget it and enjoy himself, no matter how favourable to enjoyment his circumstances may be in other respects. Did any one of you ever go to a school-treat in tight boots 1 If you ever did, I need not ask you how much you enjoyed it, for I am sure you remember very well that you could not enjoy it at all, and were quite glad when it was over. I once saw a poor little boy at a school-treat who had the ear-ache. How woe-begone and weary he did look! There was running of races, and scrambling for nuts, and many other amusements going on, just what he had been looking forward to with delight for weeks; but he could not join in it, nothing could give him any pleasure as long as the pain in his ear continued. Yes; even a little pain is more than enough to mar a great deal of pleasure. Indeed, it is not pain only that has the power of doing this; we are just as unable to enjoy ourselves in any active manner, if we are feeling weak or weary. In fact, to sum up the whole matter in a single sentence, we cannot enjoy ourselves if we are feeling uncomfortable, and we cannot feel really comfortable unless we ar...