Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-05-26
CLEVER ESSAY ON
HEALTH BY PUPIL
OF LINCOLN SCHOOL

AS part of the brief exercises in
connection with the visit of Miss
Jennie Ballantyne, Augusta Public
Health Nurse. to the Lincoln school,
Thursday afternoon, to meet the
mothers, number Of essays by the
children were read. These essays
We're on health subjects, and the fol
lowing entitled. 1.-THE Houses in
Which We Live" was selected as one
of the best of these. 1t was written
and read by Miss Louise Tracy, a
pupil in the seventh grade of the
Lincoln school. without any outside
help and is an exceptionally clever
treatment of her subject. The essay
is as follows:
Tho Houses in Which We Live
We have all heard of 1.-THE house
that Jack built" but Jack is not the
only one who has built a wonderful
house: indeed he is no more Won
derful than thousands of boys and
girls all over our land. who are daily
building more beautiful enduring
houses in which to live all their lives.
These houses are our bodies-the
temples in which we spend all Of our
years. No one would choose to live
in weak, tumble down house of
brick or wood when with little eff
fort he could live in a beautiful
mansion.
Our mothers know this, so when
we are babies we receive great deal
we are fed regularly on a diet most
suitable for us; we have SO many
hours of sleep. and so many hours
Of fresh air and sunshine.
AS we grow up and begin to care
for ourselves, the school especially
is seeing to it that we are forming
habits that help us to build a home
beautiful and strong.
Our houses have three stories. First
the basement where our fuel and fat
is stored. Next the middle story,
commonly called the chest where the
house is ventilated. Last of all is
the top or head where we ourselves
live. This story is supplied with
windows and sentinels, especially the
eyes. Other sentinels are our ears
and nose and the tongue or hall por-
ter who closely examines every thing
which is admitted to the house by the
front door to see whether 1t has any
right to come in or not.
When we have admitted our food
which supplies our heat, and energy.
our teeth are the first servants to
look after It. Both at home and at
school we are urged to take proper
care Of our teeth. To brush them
three times q day Is not too often.
Why should we not clean them as
often as we do our knives and forks:
They have a most important work TO
do in thoroughly masticating the
food. To do their work properly,
they must be kept in good condi-
ton.
How can we ventilate our bodies
unless we have plenty OF fresh air
both day and night?
How can our skins throw of waste
unless we battle often to keep the
pores free to do their work.
How shall we have a beautlIui
house to look at II we do not stand
and walk correctly. giving 1t the
proper balance and bending 1t in the
direction we wish to grow?
A few evenings ago nearly MIL
lion radio fans throughout America
listened to Mr.. Charles M. De Forest,
executive of the National Health
Crusade. He said that one out OF
three men who were called to the
coIors we're rejected because or poor
health and that millions OF days were
lost bv the boys of the army ana
navy because Of preventable SICK
Six times as many people as were
killed in the World War give up
their lives each year because they
hadn't learned to build houses ST tor Or
themselves strong enough to resist
We all wish to be 100 per cent
Americans, but that is not enough
we must try to form habits when
VII, make us 100 per cent healthy
Americans.
LOUISE TRACY. Grade 7, Lincoln
School.