the residential districts who were meeting together to see if all the
families for a certain number of blocks east and west would promise to
use only hard coal in their homes. One of the women, the mother of
three young children, pictured vividly the difference it would make in
the atmosphere their children must breathe and closed her appeal by
saying, "But women, it means that we must _all_ burn it. The help one or
two of us can give amounts to almost nothing. Into each of our cellars
the hard coal must go and each of us must insist upon using nothing
else. Then we shall have clean, pure air for our babies to breathe
throughout all this section."

She had stated the answer to the whole problem of bringing inspiration
to our girls. It will need _every_ home and _every_ church to keep the
atmosphere clean and invigorating.

It may be that the girl herself is reading and thinking over this _Plea_
and _Promise_. If she is she will realize how earnestly we covet for her
all the best things and how we long for wisdom to help her get them.
Perhaps she will think that _she_ can do a great deal toward getting
them for herself, _and she can_. Let me recall to her mind one of the
girls whom we find in almost every gymnasium class, whose pale face and
stooping shoulders attract at once the instructor's attention. Let me
remind her of the special exercises given that girl for chest
development, the advice about food and the command, "Live with your
windows open. Let the air into your lungs." Again and again you will
remember the instructor gave the command to the class, "_Breathe_. Use
your lungs! Half of you use only two-thirds of your lung capacity!" And
then by way of emphasis she contrasted her own chest expansion and
yours, adding, "If you want health, take deep breaths."