MANY persons do not seem to know that, as far as their health goes, it is worse to have dust under the finger-nails than to have it on the end of the nose or in the middle of the cheek; for some of the worst microbes may be packed away in the dust under the nails, and such microbes may enter any scratch or cut we have; they may also get into our mouths with the food we touch with our fingers. In fact, this is the most important reason for keeping the nails clean, though the second reason is the one that people think most about. They want their fingers to match their clean faces and their clean clothes. They are ashamed not to have one part of the body look as clean as another part. For the sake of beauty, therefore, they keep their nails well trimmed and cleaned. This is a good reason, too. You can buy a stiff little brush with a wooden back at any grocery store for three or five cents. It will not be handsome, but the bristles will get under the nails as well as if it had an ivory back. For five or ten cents more you can buy a nail-file and nail-cleaner at any hardware shop. Use the water, the soap, and the brush until your nails really look clean, or until the dust is so soft under them that the nail-cleaner will take it out without any trouble. Never clean the nails with a knife or scissors, or any sharp thing that takes out the dust by scraping the nail. Such treatment will make the nails rough, and it will be harder to get the dust out next time. Never scrape the top of the nail; to do so will make it grow thick and clumsy.—Good Health.