THE HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11825, 30 November 1901, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE HOME.

NURSERY NOTES.

There is great difficulty sometimes in getting a child to take its medicine, and in most cases this is the fault of the parents. You must be firm and determined in your manner as well as kind, and, unless the child's nature is a very obstinate one, you will generally succeed. If the child absolutely refuses these there is only one course to take, and that is the medicine-spoon. It consists of a spoon with a hollow handle opening at the top, and also into the bowl of the snoon, which is covered -with a. hinged lid. The spoon is rounded at the edges, in order not to hurt the mouth if it should have to be forced in. When the spoon is used the child's head must be kept- still, and the back of the spoon gently pressed upon the tongue while the medicine is. gently poured down the throat.

An aperient liniment, to be rubbed on the stomach in cases of habitual costiveness. and one that is generally attended with excellent results, is made as follows: One ounce of compound soap liniment, mixed with half an ounce of compound tincture of aloes. When sea-bathing can be obtained it is more conducive to the health of the child than a fresh-water plunge-bath, for the seawater is more tonic, stimulant. and bracing than fresh. The summer and the autumn are the best for sea-bathing, and the best time for a bathe is from two to three hours after breakfast— except in Verv hot- weather, when before breakfast is the best time. A cup of warm milk and a piece of bread and butter should always be taken before the child is allowed to go into the water. Exercise is also useful before the bath; but it should be gentle, so as not to induce fatigue.

A MODEL HOSTESS. A woman may possess wealth untold, she may have the kindest of hearts and the brightest of minds, but unless she has absolute control of her feelings there will be some time in her career as hostess that she will display annoyance or flurry, and the contagion spreading to her guests will cause an otherwise successful entertainment to die out in an undisguised failure. A model hostess must, to all appearances, be made of stone, so far as disagreeable happenings are concerned. Even though a guest or careless waiter inadvertently breaks a bit of china which can never be replaced she must, smile on as though the loss of the entire set would but emphasise the pleasures of the evening. Her well-bred calm inspires her guests with a feeling of confidence, and though in her heart she may be very dubious about certain important details of her dinner or dance, if she does not show her anxiety everything will pass off to a happy conclusion. A flurried hostess or nervous host, whose countenances but badly conceal the worry they feel, can do more towards making the guests uncomfortable than 'A the soup were served stone cold, and the salad dressings were ruined by a too bountiful quantity of vinegar. An imperturbable calm and a ready tact are the two important factors in the making of a model host-ess. Secure these by hook or crook, and you need never fear for the success of any of your entertainments. —Family Doctor.

DINING-ROOMS. Dox'x have an overmantel of looking-glass with little wooden brackets and pillars at the sides. It has a fidgety appearance, and mirrors seem to be somewhat out of keeping in a dining-room. A pretty engraving in a plain deal frame, stained to represent the same wood as the furniture, is, in far better taste, and not nearly so expensive, considering that really artistic engravings of good pictures can be bought unframed for 2s 6d each. A still cheaper method is to have a vallance of stamped velveteen or some Oriental tapestry gathered to a little rod, which shall be fixed to the wall about 2ft above the mantelboard, and just above the vallance there should be a stained deal shelf to hold pottery. The woman who is skilful in stitchery might make a handsome panel of dull-col-mfred linen or sergt- artistically embroidered, and use this instead of the vallance. Don't have only linoleum on the floor. It has such a chilly effect, and as a thick cord carpet in any art colour can be bought for 6s in a- square 6ft by 6ft there is no reason to abstain from this small luxury. Don't have a medley of colours in a din-ing-room, and let those which you decide upon be deep and rich in tone. The reds, blues, and greens of the old-fashioned Turkey carpets give the three best shades to work with, taking one, or at most two, for a room. In a small room wallpaper, curtains, and tablecloth should be of the same colour, and the carpet should either be a darker tone of the same or of Oriental design.—Home Notes.

TEACH YOUR DAUGHTERS TO COOK. No matter what a girl's position may bo a domestic education is necessary to her, so that she may be capable of directing others or assisting in the management of her house herself. A rather pathetic incident came under my notice a few months ago (says a writer in a Home paper). A girl who had married the man of her choice made the discovery, when too late, that, she was totally unfitted for the duties she would have to perform in her new position. She had no experience in cooking anything besides frying bacon and making tea. Even porridge was a failure when she attempted to make it. " The reason of all this?" you ask. Well, her mother was so accustomed to cook for her family t»hat she was unwilling to hand over the reins to her daughter, although the latter was quite ready to learn. The mother's excuse was that her husband was extremely fastidious regarding his meals, and she feared domestic 'disturbance if they were not prepared in the way he had hitherto enjoyed. No doubt the woman meant well, but I think that not only was her husband a selfish man but she was a very unwise woman not to consider .her daughter's future happiness, and I feel sure that every rightminded reader will agree with me. So much comfort, and domestic peace depend upon the skill of the wife as cook and housekeeper that I wonder at any mother expressing her unwillingness to teach her girl every branch of household work. I have heard that a hungry man is an angry man, and especially is this true when he comes home from work and finds before him a meal prepared in such a- way as to render it unenjoyableif nob uneatable. The poor young wife may have done her best, but a disappointed, tired man will not recognise the fact. What he wants is the knowledge that his earnings are spent judiciously, his food cooked in a nice, tempting manner, and served on a neatly-arranged table. If your daughter is at home all day, let her "take the dinner entirely in hand two days a week. To make it clear, give her a certain sum in the morning, or the evening before, if more convenient, and let her go out and purchase the necessary things for the day's dinner, then let her cook the meal. Even if she fails, as she may do, the first few times, is it not better for you to be with her and to show her where she goes wrong than for her to bear the reproaches, if not worse, of an impatient husband No doubt she will be less careful with butter, sugar, eggs, etc., than you are, but a little patience on your part and willingness to improve on hers will soon teach her those little "economics in the kitchen" which are so necessary if you wish to make both ends meet with "a limited income. I heard a mother say one day, " I ain't bear to see my daughter cooking. She burns as much coal for a little stew and a vegetable as would be wanted for a big roast." Of course, that item has to b2 i,vatched, and if the meat is put on to stew very early in the morning a small fire suffices to cook it. A mother is the only one who can teach the girl all these little tilings— she can do it in her own quiet manner without impatience or reproaches. There is another side to the picture. A man, while praising his wife's skill as a housekeeper, naturally looks with gratitude on the girl's mother who has trained her so well, and in this case the mother-in-law is not the despised creature that writers of fiction would have us believe. .