This bending over, also cramps the lungs, so that they do not have all the room they need for breathing. While you are young, your bones are easily bent. One shoulder or one hip gets higher than the other, if you stand unevenly. This is more serious, because you are growing, and you may grow crooked before you know it.
Now that you know how soft your bones are, and how easily they bend, you will surely be careful to sit and stand erect. Do not twist your legs, or arms, or shoulders; for you want to grow into straight and graceful men and women, instead of being round-shouldered, or hump-backed, or lame, all your lives.
When people are old, their bones contain more lime, and, therefore, break more easily.
You should be kindly helpful to old people, so that they may not fall, and possibly break their bones.
CARE OF THE FEET.
Healthy children are always out-growing their shoes, and sometimes faster than they wear them out. Tight shoes cause corns and in-growing nails and other sore places on the feet. All of these are very hard to get rid of. No one should wear a shoe that pinches or hurts the foot.
OUGHT A BOY TO USE TOBACCO?
Perhaps some boy will say: "Grown people are always telling us, 'this will do for men, but it is not good for boys.'"
Tobacco is not good for men; but there is a very good reason why it is worse for boys.
If you were going to build a house, would it be wise for you to put into the stone-work of the cellar something that would make it less strong?