THE HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11692, 29 June 1901, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE HOME.

WHEN CHILDREN" ARE ILL. Remember that they are reasonable beings, and if nasty medicines have to be taken, or if pain has to be endured, tell them calmly that it is inevitable, and must be borne. A few tears may be shed, but as a rule the little invalids' are submissive enough, and in any case nothing is gained but their distrust if you attempt to deceive them. If children know vou will tell them when there is anything unpleasant or painful in store, they are quite sure that, when you say there is nothing to fear, your word may be relied on, which will save much needless dread and worry on their side as well as on yours. In dealing with sick children be careful not to discuss their state before them. They are "cute" attlo creatures and nervous .too, though they would scorn to betray the latter fact, and it is very bad for them to hear their elders' anxieties for • t'.iom, or even scraps of conversation- which may add to the fears they have for themselves. /

A TURKISH BATH AT HOME. Says an English paper:.—With a good deep bath tub and plenty of hot water you am have, not perhaps, strictly speaking, a Turkish bath, but one that will do you an equal amount of good at home. The great object of a Turkish bath is to induce free perspiration in order to throw off the impurities of the body, and this can be accomplished in the following way: First open the bathroom window slightly at the top, then fill the bath with water of 108deg. sufficiently high to cover the body up to the shoulders. Sit in this for a few minutes, and then add more hot water as you can comfortably bear it, letting out some of the cooler water as necessary. Continue adding hot water till you perspire freely,, which will probably be "in nbout twenty minutes. Then stand up, and with the palms of your hands rub the body vigorously all over, and as the skin dries slightly the impurities which were in the pores, and have ben loosened by perspiration, will be gradually brought to the surface by the rubbing. Continue rubbing till the skin feels smooth and clean again; then rinse thoroughly. Now well soap your hands with any good, pure soap, and again rub and knead the body all over. Well rinse again, and then sponge the body well over, first with tepid and then with cold water, and dry thoroughly. Wrap yourself in a loose dressing-gown, and lie down for half an hour in a cool room, after which you may dress and go about as usual.

A PLEA FOR THE STEPMOTHER. Most of us have been brought up on the good old orthodox fairy tales, and one that we imbibe with our earliest literature is that stepmothers are cruel and wicked. The stepmother's side of the case is never Ifeard. It seems to be the first wife's friends who rush into print always. As a rule, too, they are the ones who stir up trouble between the children and their stepmother. Once in a while, no doubt, there is a wicked, cruel stepmother of the storybook type, becaus)> there are still some wicked, cruel women in the world, in spite of all the evidences of woman's advancement.

THE DAUGHTER OF THE HOUSE. Every daughter cannot afford 'to stay at home and shift >tlie household cares a little from mother's shoulders to her ownbut I am afraid in too many cases they do not want to do it- when they can. The condition of things has changed much in the last few years, and girls are full of the modern idea of working for moneyof being independent. I believe every girl should be so educated that, if it is necessary, she can support herself by her own work. But is it right for girls who. have comfortable homes, and parents who need, if not their work, their gentle, thoughtful care, their ministry in making the home life brighter and sweeter, .to insist on going out into the world to earn money, thus perhaps taking the place of one who needs the work for her own support, and to help those dependent upon her? Givls, consider a little the question from all sides before you decide to become a wage-earner in .the world outside of home.

Mother has been working for nearly twentyyears, perhaps, doing everything she can to 111 alee home pleasant, and denj'ing herself that you may have the advantage of education. If no other denial has been necessary she has at least relinquished your company ionship, and now is it not her right that you give the sunshine of your young life to home, to father and mother, until someone shall persuade you to help build another home?

KEEPING THE. THRESHOLD WARM. In Siberia there is a good custom that the bride, on coming to her husband's house,, has to give a dinner prepared with her own hands as a test of the education she has received. If she succeeds in gratifying her guests, it is taken as a proof not only of the young woman's own excellence, but also as a recommendation of her whole family, by whom she was instructed so usefully. This surely was a better way of "keeping the threshold warm for another bride" than that which was described a few years ago by a correspondent in the Athenaeum. "At a wedding in Holderness tl:fs other day, at which my granddaughter assisted, as"soon as the bride and bridegroom had left the house, and had_ the usual number of old shoes thrown after them, the young folks rushled forward, each bearing a .tea-kettle of boiling-water, which they poured down the front. steps., that 'other marriages might soon flow on.'" b

WHEN TRYING ON NEW SHOES. It is of the first importance that children should be well shod, and by that I mean not so much prettily as warmly and comfortably. However nicely made shoes may be, thev are unsuitable unless they are sufficiently roomy. _ Tight shoes cause much suffering to growing children, and are the frequent causes of red noses in their elders, as well as ..of corns and bunions. To - ensure new shoes being the right ; ze, try them on in the latter part of the day, when tlio feet are at their largest, for walking and \standing about causes the feet to slightly swell. Children should always be allowed a little room for growth, unless it is a matter of indifference whether they wear their boots till they are worn out or cast them aside in a few weeks because they are too small.

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

Moths in a Fur Cloak : To get rid of the moths the cloak must be properly baked; and, as this is rather a risky tiling for an amateur to do, the best plan is to send to a good furrier, and have it properly seen to. To Clean Tinware Goods: Have you ever tried rubbing them with 3. well-soaped damp flannel dipped in dry whiting? This removes all stains, and if the things are afterwards rubbed with a clean chamois and dry whiting they will polish beautifully. Cream-tinted Curtains: I wonder if you know that it is possible to buy cream starch? This is much less fuss than using saffron or any of the old-fashioned methods. If the cream tint is too deep, use half white starch and half cream, mixing it together before adding water. Of course, the proportions can be varied till you get the tint you want. To Freshen a Felt Hat: Ammonia and water is excellent for this. P.ut a little cold water in a saucer, add a few drops of ammonia to it, and with this sponge the hat thoroughly, after first brushing to remove all dust; then wring a fairly thick cloth out of cold water, lay it over the hat, and iron with a moderately hot flat iron till dry. Pulling the cloth away will raise the nap, and the hat, .unless very dilapidated, will look almost as good as new. To Mend Torn Oilcloth: The best plan is to stick a piece of sticking-plaster at the back of. the floorcloth. It must be large enough to quite cover the torn parts, ■ and after doing must not be touched or moved till it is thoroughly dry. A Sewing Hint: When you want a fresh piece of cotton, thread your needle before cutting from the reel, and begin working at; the end just severed. By doing this you glib the right end of the thread, and will not be annoyed by the cotton knotting. To Clean Steel Knives: Instead of rubbing them on a. board, try moistening the finely powdered bath-brick with water, and rubbing it on the blades with a soft piece of rag; afterwards polish in the same way with dry brick and a duster. This cleans them just as well, and is not such hard work as cleaning on a board. " ,