And when you take time from your ordinary employments, or time from the hours usually given to sleep, I hope you will always ask yourselves this question: “Am I going to this meeting
in order that I may come home and be more and more like Jesus Christ?” And if you do not find that this is your reason for going, beware lest the awful condemnation that awaits those who abuse and pervert religious privileges, fall upon your guilty head.
And here I would add, that no rule can be given as to how much we ought to attend religious exercises. Some persons are reflective, and serious, and remember and feel what they hear a great while. Others are light, trifling and forgetful, and very soon lose any serious impressions. The first class do not need such frequent instructions and opportunities as the last class. And every person must judge for herself, how much time and attention is needful for her to give to religious duties, and not be censorious on others, who think it best for them to take another course.
LETTER XI.
ON HEALTH.
Importance of health to domestics. Modes by which they injure health.
My Friends:
Much of the ill health among persons in your employment is entirely needless. You have employments, usually, that tend to strengthen the constitution and maintain firm health, and as a class you have far more health and strength than those who do not labour.
Now, good health is the greatest of all blessings, for without it, no matter how many other blessings we have, we cannot enjoy life. Many and many a woman in this land, who has wealth, and ease, and education, and friends, and every thing that wealth can purchase, goes about gloomy and sick at heart, because disease has spread its dark shroud over all the enjoyments of life.