Ourselves: Thirst

In Ourselves ("Thirst"), Charlotte Mason wrote about the importance of drinking water (of which I don't do enough). I'm trying. This week, I started bringing herbal tea bags to school to make during recess and lunch recess, instead of refilling my coffee cup.

"Thirst" is also about the character of Drunkenness...

The chairs and tables out of his house, his children's bread, their mother's clothes, all go to buy drink. The man's time, health, and strength are spent in drink––he becomes homeless and friendless, sick and outcast, for the sake of drink.

...which reminded me of a character in Betty Smith's novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. The father in the book, Johnny Nolan, is an alcoholic. I loved A Tree when I read it in elementary school, and I highly recommend it. The lexile is 810, the same as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, though Charlie's grade level equivalent is 5.6 while A Tree's grade level equivalent is 7.6. The main character, Francie, is a character that will stick with you. I remember wanting so much for her and being amazed at her hopefulness.