Chapter 17—Cleanliness an Aid to Purity
“Why take ye thought for raiment?” “Is not the life more than meat,
and the body than raiment?” [
Matthew 6:28, 25
.]
The mother should not give her time and strength to the needless
ornamentation of her children’s clothing; indeed, she cannot do this
if she has a true sense of her accountability to God. It is not essential
to trim and embroider clothing; the time thus spent is precious, and
should be given to the forming of character, the development of the
mind, the inculcation of right principles, to teaching the children purity,
modesty, and truthfulness.
Food should be so simple that its preparation will not absorb all
the time of the mother. It is true, care should be taken to furnish
the table with healthful food prepared in a wholesome and inviting
manner. Do not think that anything you can carelessly throw together
to serve as food is good enough for the children. But less time should
be devoted to the preparation of unhealthful dishes for the table, to
please a perverted taste, and more time to the education and training
of the children. Let the strength which is now given to the unnecessary
planning of what you shall eat and drink, and wherewithal you shall
be clothed, be directed to keeping their persons clean and their clothes
neat. Do not misunderstand me in this. I do not say that you must keep
them in-doors, like dolls. There is nothing impure in clean sand and
dry earth; it is the emanations from the body that defile, requiring the
clothing to be changed and the body washed.
Frequent bathing is very beneficial, especially at night, just before
retiring, or upon rising in the morning. It will take but a few moments
to give the children a bath, and to rub them until their bodies are in
a glow. This brings the blood to the surface, relieving the brain; and
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there will be less inclination to indulge in impure practices. Teach the
little ones that God is not pleased to see them with unclean bodies and
untidy, torn garments. Tell them that he wants them to be pure without
and within, that he may dwell with them.
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