LIPPINCOTT'S SCHOOL TEXT SERIES EDITED BY WILLIAM F. RUSSELL, PH.D. DEAN, COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, STATE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA 626281 COPYRIGHT, 1921, BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY C PRINTED BY J. B, LIPPINCOTT COMPANY PREFACE The immortal Mr. Dooley has declared that "you can lead a boy to college, but you can't make him think.” The object of these little books is to make children think about health, for while it may be "never too late to mend" bad health habits, it is never too early to form good ones. Health cannot be forced from without; it must be fostered from within. It is not enough for us to provide our children with proper food, clothe them suitably and keep them clean. We must also give them an intelligent understanding of the hows and whys underlying the laws of hygiene, and must impart to them the contagion of our own enthusiasm for health. Therefore I have sought, in these informal talks with "Ruth and Paul," not to convey the maximum number of facts, but to arouse the maximum degree of interest. Facts may be quickly forgotten, but interest, once fully aroused, never quite dies. Many a boy or girl lives like a boarder in his own. home, totally unfamiliar with its workings, totally uninterested in its healthful or unhealthful regime. This is especially true in this ready-made age. THE PLAYHOUSE is an attempt to show how delightful an adventure is the making of a simple, healthful, happy home, and how closely the making of such a home is bound up with the health and character of its makers and members. To many friends thanks are due for advice, criticism and proofreading. I also desire especially to acknowledge my debt to Dr. W. F. Russell, Dean of the College of Education of the University of Iowa; Professor Jean Broadhurst and Miss Caroline E. Stackpole of Columbia University, and Dr. Martin Edwards of Boston, all of whom have given generously of their time and interest in behalf of these books. To Miss Emma Dolfinger, Normal School, Louisville, Kentucky, I am indebted for the valuable questions and suggestions at the end of each chapter. MARY S. HAVILAND. National Child Welfare Association, New York City. |