13.  THE VITAL PERIOD.—­The physical condition of parents at the vital period of transmission of life should be a perfect condition of health in both body and mind, and a vigorous condition of all the animal organs and functions.

14.  MUSCULAR PREPARATION.—­Especially should parents cultivate their muscular system preparatory to the perfection of this function, and of their children; because, to impart strength and stamina to offspring they must of necessity both possess a good muscular organization, and also bring it into vigorous requisition at this period.  For this reason, if for no other, let those of sedentary habits cultivate muscular energy preparatory to this time of need.

15.  THE SEED.—­So exceedingly delicate are the seeds of life, that, unless planted in a place of perfect security, they must all be destroyed and our race itself extinguished.  And what place is as secure as that chosen, where they can be reached only with the utmost difficulty, and than only as the peril of even life itself?  Imperfect seed sown in poor ground means a sickly harvest.

16.  HEALTHY PEOPLE—­MOST CHILDREN.—­The most healthy classes have the most numerous families; but that, as luxury enervates society, it diminishes the population, by enfeebling parents, nature preferring none rather than those too weakly to live and be happy, and thereby rendering that union unfruitful which is too feeble to produce offspring sufficiently strong to enjoy life.  Debility and disease often cause barrenness.  Nature seems to rebel against sickly offspring.

17.  WHY CHILDREN DIE.—­Inquire whether one or both the parents of those numerous children that die around us, have not weak lungs, or a debilitated stomach, or a diseased liver, or feeble muscles, or else use them but little, or disordered nerves, or some other debility or form of disease.  The prevalence of summer complaints, colic, cholera infantum, and other affections of these vital organs of children is truly alarming, sweeping them into their graves by the million.  Shall other animals rear nearly all their young, and shall man, constitutionally by far the strongest of them all, lose half or more of his? is this the order of nature?  No, but their death-worm is born in and with them, and by parental agency.

18.  GRAVE-YARD STATISTICS.—­Take grave-yard statistics in August, and then say, whether most of the deaths of children are not caused by indigestion, or feebleness of the bowels, liver, etc., or complaints growing out of them?  Rather, take family statistics from broken-hearted parents!  And yet, in general, those very parents who thus suffer more than words can tell, were the first and main transgressors, because they entailed those dyspeptic, heart, and other kindred affections so common among American parents upon their own children, and thereby almost as bad as killed them by inches; thus depriving them of the joys of life, and themselves of their greatest earthly treasure!