into the stomach, keeps it at work all the time, and thus it becomes weak and disordered from over-working. For this reason, I advise you not to eat except at your regular meals.
If you have weak eyes, always shade them from the glare of the fire or candles in the evening, and never use them before breakfast either to read or sew. The eyes are weaker before breakfast than at any other time. The reason is, that they have been long shut up, so as to be unused to the light, and sleep always weakens the body to a certain extent, until a new supply of food gives the blood the nourishment it has lost, by the exhalations of the body during the night.
Taking food or drink very warm, is injurious to the teeth and stomach. If you should hold one of your fingers in hot water, half an hour, three times a day, you would find that it was very much weakened. The same effect is produced on the nerves of the mouth, teeth, and stomach, by the use of hot food and drinks. Pepper, mustard, and spices also tend to injure the health of the stomach, by stimulating it too much.
LETTER XII.
ON DRESS, MANNERS, AND LANGUAGE.
Dress should be conformed to means and to occupations. Rules of good manners.
My Friends:
I have shown you, in a former letter, that the chief reason why so much difference is made, between domestics and other members of the family, is their deficiencies in education, dress and manners. If domestics were universally well educated and well bred, and if they paid a proper attention to their dress and persons, then parents would feel that their example would be useful instead of injurious to children, while their presence would be agreeable and not offensive to visitors.
It is therefore very desirable, on your own account, and that you may raise the respectability of your station, (as well as on account of parents and children,) that you pay great attention to these particulars.