Confidences: Talks with a
Young Girl Concerning Herself
2023, NEW BOOK 📚
the family--your father and mother, who do so many things for you and take such
care of you, and your brothers and sisters, who all help to make the home happy.
The flower is like a little girl and needs some one to care for her. Do you know the
other members of the plant household?
First, there are the roots, whose work it is to hold the plant in place so it will not be
tossed about by every wind. The roots also must draw the water and nourishment
from the ground. You know when the rain comes, it soaks into the ground and then
when the plant needs water the little roots suck it out of the ground just as you could
draw lemonade through a straw, for every root is supplied with many hair tubes that
serve as straws. These hair tubes often are so small we could not see them without a
microscope, but it is through these tiny tubes the plant receives nearly all the water it
uses.
Other members of the family, the leaves, are kept busy, for they must do the
breathing for the plant, as well as digest the food. You know water is never quite free
from mineral matter, so when the roots draw up the water from the ground, they also
draw up some mineral food for the plant which is dissolved in the water. Before the
plant can make use of this food, it must be digested by the leaves, much the same as
your stomach must digest the food you eat. That is, it must change it into
another form. But in order that the leaves may do this, they must have plenty of
chlorophyll, which is the green coloring matter of the leaves. This chlorophyll will
grow in the leaves if they have plenty of sunlight, and if it does not grow the leaves
will not be able to digest the food and the plant will starve. So you see how necessary
it is for plants to have plenty of sunshine, and why they lose their green color and
then die if they are kept away from the light. They really are starved to death.
Flowers are words
Which even a babe may understand.
Chapter 2: The Flower Babies
The flower itself has many parts, just as there are many parts to your body. When the
flower is a little bud, or baby, rocked by the breezes, it is closely wrapped in a little
green cloak. We call this cloak the calyx, because when it opens it looks like a cup,
and the word calyx means cup. After the bud is grown, it opens its cloak and throws
it back. Then we see the pretty dress underneath. We call this dress the corolla.
Sometimes it is all in one piece, but often it is divided into several leaf-like parts
which we call petals.
If we look within the dress or corolla, we find the real body of the flower, which is
called the pistil. Its shape varies greatly in different plants, but it always consists of
two or three distinct parts. One of these is the cradle for the seeds, and is called the
ovary. At one end of the ovary is usually a little tube leading down into it. This tube is
called the style, and the opening at the other end is called the stigma. Each ovary or
cradle contains one or more ovules which by and by will grow into seeds. Just outside
the pistil of a flower you usually will find a row of slender, thread-like stalks,
each bearing a soft, oblong body at the top, falling out of which you will see a fine
yellow powder called pollen. It is a peculiar fact that these seeds never can grow into
new plants unless they are fertilized, that is, unless they receive some pollen. It is
another peculiar fact that although nearly every flower has this pollen growing right
near the little ovules, yet they cannot be fertilized with this pollen, but must receive
some from the flower of another plant family.
This pollen is carried from one plant to another by the wind or by the bees and
butterflies that come visiting in search of honey. In fact, the flower coaxes the bees
and butterflies to come so they may bring her the pollen. Soon after the seed is
fertilized it is ripe; that is, it is ready to leave its cradle, the ovary. It is now ready to
grow into a new plant. But before it can grow it must be put into a little nest in
the ground. But the poor plant is so helpless that she is unable to prepare this nest
herself, so all she can do is to scatter her seed babies out on the ground and hope
some one will take pity on them and make a nice nest for them. Sometimes the wind
helps her by blowing some dirt and dead leaves over them, for you know the seeds
cannot grow unless they are covered nice and warm. Sometimes the children and
grown people help her by preparing a nice flower-bed.
For a long time the tiny seed lies very quietly in its warm nest, and if we could peek
at it we could not see it move at all, but all the time it is growing very slowly, until
finally some bright day it will send up its little sprouts, and then we will see that all
the time the seed was lying so quietly it was growing into a baby flower.
"So the Bluebirds have contracted, have they, for a house?
And a nest is under way for little Mr. Wren?"
"Hush, dear, hush! Be quiet, dear! quiet as a mouse.
These are weighty secrets, and we must whisper them."
Chapter 3: The Bird Babies
Today, Violet, I shall tell you another secret, but this time the secret is not about
flowers, but about something else we love very dearly. I intend to tell you some
secrets about the birds. I wonder if you know how much they are like the flowers?
You remember the flowers had a language which we could understand, even if they
did not talk out loud. The birds, too, have a language of their own, and they can
express themselves better than the flowers, for they have a sign language, and are
also able to make sounds. How much we enjoy hearing the birds sing, not only
because they make beautiful music, but because they are telling us how happy they
are!
If birds are in pain or in trouble, their notes are quite different from when they are
singing; while, if they or their little ones are in danger, they quickly send forth a note
of warning. The young birds, in calling for food, make an entirely different sound, and
the answer of the mother bird is a sweet lullaby. One of the ways birds
express themselves in sign language is by their feathers. If they are sick, their
feathers droop. When they are well and happy, their feathers seem much brighter.
In the bird family, as in the flower family, each member has a special work to do. The
mother bird and the father bird work together to build the nest, but while the mother
bird lays the eggs and then must sit on them for a number of days, the father bird
must bring her food and water and sometimes take his turn watching the nest while
the mother goes for a little exercise. The mother bird's body resembles the plant, too,
for it needs fresh air, food and water. Instead of leaves to take in the air it has lungs,
which not only take in the fresh air but also send out the impure air. Instead of the
little rootlets to take in the food and water from the ground, the bird has a mouth,
and as the bird is not fastened to the ground, but is free to fly or move about, it goes
after its food. Instead of sap, it has blood to carry the food to all parts of the body.
The birds have ovaries just the same as the flowers, and inside each ovary are a
number of little seeds or ovules which by and by will grow into birdies. It takes quite
a while for the ovules to ripen, just as it took quite a while for the seeds to ripen, and
when they are ripe they must have a nest prepared for them, just as the flowers did.
But the birds are not as helpless as the flowers, and are able to make their own nests.
So when the ovules (which are called eggs when they are ripe) are ready, the parent
birds select a nice place for a home.
The father and mother work very hard until the nest is finished. Often the mother will
line it with some of her own feathers, so that it will be soft and warm. After the nest
is ready the mother bird lays the tiny eggs in it. Then she must sit on them to keep
them warm for many days, for the eggs, like the seeds, cannot grow unless they are
kept good and warm. If we look at the eggs from day to day we will not be able to
see any change in them, but the change is inside the shell where we cannot see it.
Every day there is an alteration taking place, and the egg gradually is being
transformed into the little bird. After a while, when the right time comes, the birdie
will peck a tiny hole in the shell. This will keep growing larger and larger until it is
large enough for the birdie to come through, then out it comes!
A sweet, new blossom of Humanity,
Fresh fallen from God's own home to flower on earth
Chapter 4: Mother’s Baby
There is another wonderful secret that I have to tell you. I wonder if you can guess
what this is! No, it is not about a flower, nor a bird--but, yes, you have guessed it
right, for it is about a girl just like you!
Isn’t it strange how much alike the flowers and birds and little girls are, after all, even
if they do not look at all alike?
You have lungs just the same as the bird, and breathe as it does. You have two feet,
but instead of wings you have arms and hands. You have a sign language, as the
flowers have, and you have a language of sounds that is even better than the bird
language. When you are happy, I can tell it by the smiles on your face, and
sometimes when you are a bit cross, I know it by a tiny frown that mars the beauty of
your face. But, of course, that does not happen very often, because, you know, as
we grow older, our faces do not change their expressions as easily as they do when
we are young. And would it not be dreadful, if when you grew up, you always had a
frown on your face and were not nice looking at all? You know the frown wrinkles try
to stay, and every time we let them come out they leave a tiny mark.
When the flower took in the fresh air it made green coloring matter, but when you
take in the fresh air it makes red coloring matter. So if you want to have red cheeks
and red lips you must have plenty of fresh air. I know you get a great deal in the
daytime when you are playing, but you must be sure to get it at night, too, or you will
lose all your pretty color. Be sure that your window is open every night.
You remember, the leaves not only had to breathe but they had to digest the food for
the plant, too, but the bird had a stomach to perform that work.
In this way you are like the birds, for you have a stomach which takes care of the
food you eat. If you wish to grow strong and well so as to be able to run and play and
also to help your mother with her work, you must eat plenty of good, nourishing food.
You know some food makes muscles, but other things are not very good for people to
eat. Plenty of bread and milk and cereals, also meat, potatoes and fruit, are very
good things to make girls grow. You must take care of your stomach, too, and give it
time to rest, for it works very hard and might get tired out. Then what would you do?
You have seen, Violet, that in a great many ways you are like the birds and flowers,
but now I am going to tell you something that perhaps you did not know. Girls have
ovaries just the same as flowers and birds, and inside each ovary are a great many
little ovules that after a while will ripen as the seeds did, only instead of growing into
flowers or birds they will grow into babies. Is that not lovely, and are you not
glad that perhaps some day you will be able to have a baby all your own? But of
course that will not be for a great many years yet.
When the little ovules are ripe there must be a nest prepared for them, just the same
as there was one prepared for the flowers and birds. But now I shall tell you another
wonderful secret. Mothers do not have to build nests, for they are already prepared
for them right inside their bodies close to their hearts. The nest is called the womb.
Although we do not have to build the nest, we have to take good care of it so it may
grow strong.
This nest and the tiny ovules are growing constantly from the time the girls are
babies, but they grow so very slowly that none of the ovules are ripe until the girl is
about twelve years old. After that one ripens every month and passes to the nest or
womb. At the same time an extra amount of blood is sent to the womb to provide
nourishing material for the ovule to use in its growth. But the womb, or nest, is not
strong enough yet to hold a healthy baby, so this extra amount of blood with the
ovule is sent out of the body through the vagina, which is a muscular tube leading
from the womb to the external parts (private parts). We call this flow the menstrual
flow. This occurs every month and each time the womb becomes a little stronger and
better able to hold a growing baby. But the womb is not fully developed until the rest
of the body is matured
Menstruation is the sign of the possibility of motherhood. Realizing this fact, one
cannot fail to have a high idea of this function. Most girls, naturally, desire children.
Little girls love their doll babies, and spend much time in caring for them, but as girls
grow into womanhood they desire real babies.
Build me straight, O worthy Master!
Staunch and strong, a goodly vessel
That shall laugh at all disaster,
And with wave and whirlwind wrestle!
Chapter 5: The Baby’s Nest
You remember, Violet, I told you that although mothers do not have to build nests,
they have to take good care of them so they will grow strong.
As the natural desire of a girl is to become a mother some time, she must begin very
early to prepare for it. By exercise, fresh air, and good, nourishing food, she should
make her body grow strong and well. By studying, she will develop her mind so as to
be fitted to care for and to teach her child. Shall I tell you some ways you can make
the nest grow strong?
First, I shall tell you more things about this mother nest. Although it and the tiny
ovules are growing all the time, yet there are greater changes in them when the girl
is from twelve to fourteen years old. About this time they grow faster than at any
other time. As these organs grow, the pelvis, or the part of the body that contains
them, also must grow to make room for them. So the hips begin to grow broader.
Other parts of the body grow faster at this time, too, and often some parts grow so
much faster than others that they are out of proportion, and the child becomes
clumsy and feels awkward. But that will not last long, for after a while the parts that
are growing slowly will catch up to the ones that grew fast, and then the body will be
graceful again. Have you ever watched a young puppy? You know how clumsy and
awkward it is while it is growing, but after a while, when it is fully grown, it will
be very graceful.
You remember, I told you, Violet, that every month, or every twenty-eight days,
there was an extra amount of blood carried to the womb which it had to send out of
the body. This flow, which we call the menstrual flow, was the sign of the possibility
of motherhood, so every girl should be glad of the fact that she menstruates and
should take good care of herself at that time. She should pay especial attention to
cleanliness during this period. She also should have a supply of sanitary cloths made
of absorbent cotton fabric, or pads made of absorbent-cotton enclosed in gauze.
These pads or cloths should be changed at least twice a day. It also is necessary that
one should bathe the parts in warm water with each change, as unpleasant odors can
thereby be avoided.
The monthly discharge varies in quantity with the individual. The discharge lasts
about four days, and is the only symptom that many girls experience in menstruation.
I wanted you to know all these things, Violet, for sometimes when little girls do not
understand what this flow means they are frightened when they see the blood. Some
women even dread motherhood because they do not know what to expect at that
time nor how to care for themselves. If they would learn more about these wonderful
bodies of ours and more about the care of little babies, they would understand how to
care for themselves so as to have healthy, happy babies.
Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. As by the one,
health is preserved, strengthened, and invigorated; by the other,
virtue (which is the health of the mind) is kept alive, cherished,
and confirmed.
Chapter 6: Building the Nest
Now that I have told you so many things about the mother-nest, especially about how
it is growing all the time, I must tell you more about the many helpers you have who
assist in its growth. This they do by providing it with food and by carrying away the
waste material. We found the body was composed of many parts or organs, each one
of which had its own especial work to do. If any one organ could not perform its work,
some other one would have to assist it, but, although the organs are willing to help
each other, it would not be fair to make one do more than its share of work, except
for a short time.
The stomach had a great deal of work to do in digesting the food or preparing it so it
could be taken up by the blood and carried to the womb and all parts of the body. But
the stomach does not have to do this all alone. It has several helpers. One set of
helpers is the teeth, which cut and grind the food into small particles. In order to do
this, they must be kept in very good condition; otherwise, they could not do their
work. We can keep them in good condition by brushing them. They should be
brushed at least twice daily and the mouth afterwards rinsed with a mild antiseptic
solution. The teeth should be thoroughly examined by a good dentist at least every
six months.
Another assistant that the stomach has is the intestines or bowels, which not only
help to digest the food but also carry off the waste material. The bowels are very
good, and will tell us when they have waste material to be disposed of, but
sometimes people are too busy and do not pay attention. If we neglect them many
times the bowels get tired of telling us, and then their work is not done. We think
they are lazy and so we try to whip them up by taking a laxative. This seems to
help at first, but we soon find we have to do the same thing every day. All this time
the fault was our own, for we did not understand. The best way is to have a regular
time of going to the toilet, say, right after breakfast. If we always go at the same
time the bowels will remember it. Then we need have no trouble with constipation nor
take any horrid medicine to whip the bowels. A regular daily action of the bowels is
necessary to health. Constipation often may be relieved by drinking a glass of cold
water upon rising, at intervals during the day, and upon retiring. Fruit at breakfast or
figs taken after meals often will relieve a tendency to constipation. Regularity in going
to the toilet is one of the most important measures in treating constipation.
The bowels have some one to assist them, too, for the kidneys carry off much of the
waste material of the body. Indeed, they carry off so much that they sometimes are
called the sewers. It often is necessary to flush the sewers of the city, that is, to send
quantities of water through them to clean the system. In the same way it is necessary
to flush the kidneys. We do this by drinking plenty of water. Every one should drink
about two quarts of water a day.
There is another worker that helps both the kidneys and the bowels. This is the skin,
which sends off waste material through the tiny pores or openings. If dirt accumulates
on the skin, it clogs the pores so the skin cannot use them. So you see how necessary
it is to take frequent baths to keep the pores open.
Other helpers that carry some of the waste material from the body are the lungs,
which send out the impure air. The lungs also take in the pure air, which, you
remember, helps to make the red coloring matter in the blood. If you want to have
nice red cheeks, you must breathe in plenty of fresh air. Also you must have plenty of
exercise, so as to help send the blood all over the body. You know when you run, the
blood flows much faster than when you are quiet. It is a good plan to stand by an
open window every morning and every evening and fill your lungs with good, pure air,
taking about twenty-five deep breaths.
I want to help you to grow as beautiful as God meant you to be when
He thought of you first.
Chapter 7: The Sign Language
Do you know one way we can tell if all the organs are doing their work well? By
watching for the sign language. If the blood is not carrying the skin sufficient
nourishment, it will be very pale and dull looking. If the waste materials are not being
carried off, they may accumulate in the skin and clog the pores. Then we may have
pimples or blackheads. Each person's skin is a law unto itself, and what is beneficial
to one may not be to another. Generally, though, it will be found helpful to bathe the
face at night with hot water, to remove all dirt; then, if the skin is rough, massage
with good cold cream. In the morning a quick rub with cold water should be taken
(and do not be afraid to rub the face a little).
The eyes tell if we are tired or unwell, for then they will be dull, while, if we abuse or
strain them, they often are red. This not only makes them less attractive, but it
shows we must attend to them. Would it not be dreadful if they became so tired or
worn out that we could not see with them? The care of the eyes is very important.
When you are reading or writing, the light should come over your left shoulder,
and you should never try to read in a poor light.
The hair also shows the state of the health, and it shows if we are careless. Nothing
so detracts from a girl's appearance as soiled or untidy hair. One of the most potent
charms a woman can have is a well-kept, luxuriant, glossy head of hair. The
hair should be shampooed often enough to keep it clean and fluffy. How often that is
depends on the nature of the hair and the occupation of the owner.
Hush, my dear, lie still and slumber,
Holy angels guard thy bed!
Heavenly blessings without number
Gently falling on thy head.
Chapter 8: Rest and Sleep
You have seen, Violet, how all the parts of the body work together, although each one
has its especial part to do. The parts of the body require rest; this they usually get
while we are asleep. We must not be neglectful and fail to give them enough rest, or
they will soon get worn out and give us trouble. Most little girls require eight or ten
hours' rest every night.
Sometimes, when people are not well or are all tired out, they find they cannot sleep
well at night. There are a number of little things that can be done to induce sleep. A
warm bath before retiring, followed by a gentle massage, especially along the spine,
often will, by relaxing the nerves and muscles, produce very good results. A glass of
hot milk or cocoa, taken just before retiring, often will have the same effect. If the
sleeplessness is a result of indigestion, a plain diet will relieve. Sleeping upon a hard
bed without any pillow sometimes produces the desired effect. Always have plenty
of fresh air in the room. Keep the mind free from the cares of the day. If they will
intrude, crowd them out by repeating something else--some soothing sentence or bit
of poetry. One good plan is to close the left nostril by pressing on it with the finger,
then take four deep breaths through the right nostril. Then close the right nostril and
take four deep breaths through the left one. Repeat this about four times.
Then breathe slowly through both nostrils, but count your breaths. You seldom will
count very many.
Even from the body's purity, the mind
Receives a secret sympathetic aid.
Chapter 9: Your Questions
If at any time, Violet, questions come up in your mind, remember that mother will be
glad to answer them or will help you obtain books that will explain things to you.
In school we have text books and a teacher, who is older and more experienced than
we, to whom we can go for help in our school problems. We know she will tell us the
right solution and we know it is wise to go to her. So in this study of our bodies and
the care of them, we must learn from some one older and more experienced, or we
must study books that have been written for that purpose. Then we will be sure to
obtain the right ideas.
After a while, when you are grown, I will tell you some things about the care of the
baby and how you may have a good-natured, healthy child. But now all you need to
do for a number of years is to take good care of this mother nest and the rest of your
body, so it will grow strong and well.
THE END!
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