~2. Cleanliness.~--Did you ever know of a boy who had his skin
varnished? Not exactly, perhaps; but there are many boys who do not have
their skins washed as often as they ought to be, and the sweat and oil
and dead scales form a sort of varnish which stops up the little ducts
and prevents the air from getting to the skin, almost as much as a coat
of varnish would do.

~3. The Sweat Glands.~--The sweat glands and ducts are like little
sewers, made to carry away some of the impurities of the body. There are
so many of them that, if they were all put together, they would make a
tube two or three miles long. These little sewers drain off almost a
quart of impurities in the form of sweat every day. So you see that it
is very important for the skin to be kept clean and healthy.

~4. Bathing.~--A bird takes a bath every day. Dogs and many other
animals like to go into the water to bathe. Some of you have seen a
great elephant take a bath by showering the water over himself with his
trunk. To keep the skin healthy we should bathe frequently.

~5.~ When we take a bath for cleanliness it is necessary to use a little
soap, so as to remove the oil which is mixed up with the dry sweat, dead
scales, and dirt which may have become attached to the skin.

~6.~ It is not well to take hot baths very often, as they have a
tendency to make the skin too sensitive. Bathing in cool water hardens
the skin, and renders one less likely to take cold.

~7. The Clothing.~--The skin should be protected by proper clothing, but
it is not well to wear more than is necessary, as it makes the skin so