On habits and manners

A complete change of clothing at night is imperative. You must have night-gowns neatly made of cotton cloth, and you must have a sufficient number of them to enable you to change at least once a week. On going to bed take off all the garments which you wear in the daytime and put on your night-gown, which you must be careful to see is thoroughly aired every morning, in order that the impuri- ties collected during the night may be, so far as possible, re- 24 ON HABITS AND MANNERS. moved. For a similar reason the clothes which you take off at night should he thrown loosely upon a chair where the air may have free circulation among their folds, and in this connection I may properly remind you of the importance of having your sleeping room thoroughly ventilated. Before going to bed you should always open one or more of the windows of your room, and this not only in summer, but even more especially in winter, if you are in good health, as at that season, house ventilation, for several reasons, is very imperfect and the danger from impure air particularly great. I have spoken somewhat in detail in regard to your underclothing, and I have done so because it is not unusual, especially among persons of limited means, to put all the expenditure of time and money upon externals of dress, while the underclothing is allowed to take care of itself. Now, if you have to choose between finery and cleanliness, between ribbons and a proper change of underclothing, do' not for a moment hesitate, for nothing can be a truer type of the "whited sepulchre" of the Bible than the man or woman whose external dress is showy and expensive, while under- neath are rags and uncleanliness. Make every exertion to supply yourselves, first of all, with suitable underclothing, and after that you may think about the fashion of your jackets and the trimming of your hats. ON HABITS AND MANNERS. 25 In regard to these same externals of dress — that is, as to the style, material, etc., of your outer garments, it is very difficult, as you yourselves will understand, to give you any fixed rules, tor in respect to these parts of our dress we are all of us at the mercy of a changing fashion. All that I can hope to do is to offer you some general ideas upon the sub- ject, in the belief that your own intelligent observation and instincts of modesty and propriety will enable you gradually to learn for yourselves what are the characteristics of the dress of a true lady. CHAPTER V.— Dress. FOR YOUNG WOMEN. The first principle of dress may, I think, safely be said to be suitability, and by this I mean that your dress should be suited to the occasions on which it is worn, to your posi- tion in life, and to the characteristics of your face and fig- ure. When you are at work, for example, wear something dark in color, simple in make, and, if possible, of material which will wa3h. Put aside all your finery, tor nothing is more completely unladylike than to overdress ; aad when you are at work of any kind, the simpler you dress the bet- ter. Plain linen collars and cuffs are proper at all times, and should always be preferred to mussy rufflings, though 26 ON HABITS AND MANNERS. fresh lace or muslin rufflings are a pretty and ladylike addi- tion to your toilette ftv evening, or at any time when you are dressed more than usual.