HOME TOPICS,

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13728, 20 April 1908, Page 3

HOME TOPICS,

MOIST WALLS I.V VARIABLE | WEATHER. Not a little alarm lias been experienced in domestic circles by the appearance of considerable moisture on the walls and furniture of the house during the severe changes of temperature whicit we have recently experienced. Fears of the house being in an unhealthy, damp condition have been entertained. As a matter of fact, as the Lancet points out, the appearance of moisture on | the interior surface of a house under the j conditions which obtained is no evidence at I all that the house is damp. The truth is that the bouse and its contents are extremely dry previously to the onset of warm moist air which commonly happen* when the wind changes from | the easterly to the westerly direction. The j moisture is derived exclusively from the j warm air and not froui the building at all. j The house is still cold, ami warm j?>oist air | coming into contact with the cold surface, | deposits .some of the moisture with which t it is saturated. j —, _- HOME DECORATIONS. No one is content nowadays to let matters ■slide with regard to the smaller details of housekeeping, and lose a c ha. ice of introducing a note of originality where a personal touch is of most value. Where lamp and candle shades are concerned, whether incandescent: gas, candles, or humble, oil la- ps : are employed, the glaring atrocities in scar- : let or gulden crinkled paper, which, discovered in the drawing-room by the clear light of morning, look as dissipated as the remains of coffee cups or cards, have given place to home-made articles which are ' sufficiently decorative to excuse their presence during the daytime. Some of the most excellent effects can

be gained by means of the new dsinty butterfly shades, which are. perhaps, most ' successful where caudles are concerned, although the idea is equally possible in the ease of larger examples. Ordinary cartridge paper—white or tinted—forms the basis, the exact, round being obtained by means of a disused shade, unfastened where joined, and laid flat on the fresh paper. To make the butterflies, no extensive artistic knowledgeis required, the appearance of hand-paint-ing being simulated in an almost life-like manner by using the transfer pictures familiar to childhood. A sheet of transfer butterflies of all descriptions and sizes should be obtained, a pretty design being that, of .arranging them in graduated sizes across the shade so as to form a flight, the smallest of all—in perspectivebeing touched in with a, little water colour or oil paints. To damp the designs, lukewarm water is better than cold, although if the former is too" hot the transfer picture is apt to slide too soon off the paper foundation, or cause the edge to curl up, thus spoiling the design. With (he addition of a few artistic touches with brush or pencil, a charming lamp-shade can be made of a few large butterflies, some in id-air, and others poising on bullrushes, the latterreproduced by means of a few bold wash "impression" strokes of the brush—emerging out of a, pond simulated by pale blue, shading oft" into the white ground-work of the shade. Combined with silver stars, another effective decoration can be evolved which is particularly well suited to small caudle shades, the paper being painted a dull hue, while ?i~: butteriiiftS appear as if fluttering through space, a constellation of pin-head silver dots and a, crescent moon simulating a night background. A wonderfully popular shade for the nursery or school-room damp is that which "is covered with nursery rhymes pressed from transfer designs, the :itle of each being traced below in gold lettering. PROBLEMS THAT VEX MOTHERS. Many mothers become very distressed when their children develop the bad habit of biting their nails. Nail-biting, however, is not always a wilful habit, to be cured by some little punishment, but some"times it is an indication of the first stage of nervous degeneration. The habit should be treated as a disease. It affects the general health, as the pieces of sharp nail are swallowed and may cause appendicitis. A little bitter rioes rubbed on the fingertips will cure it in children.

I have often heard mothers say proudly that they never allow their children to eat sweets, because they cause decay of the teeth. This is no more true of sugar than of any of the starchy foods. If the teeth are brushed twice a day, once with some good tooth-powder, no normal amount of sweets will damage them. Although scientists -have proved conclusively that sugar is a most useful form of food for mankind, it will di übtless be many a long year before mothers in general finally give up the fixed idea that " sweets are bad food for children." i

In many cases of incipient illness, a child will unconsciously proclaim to a watchful mother that something is wrong. If he complains of pain in the head, and cannot bear the light, is sick, and looks alternately flushed and pale, take him away from, his lessons; give him complete rest; keep him in fresh air; do not allow him to be teased by other children, and you may be averting serious brain-disease. The golden rale of health is to keep the feet warm; and the first tiling to attend to in this matter is to see that the boots and shoes are not too tight-fitting. Never allow a child to sit in damp shoes. Two pairs of boots or slices, as the case may be, are required for each child; and "it is a great rest to the feet if outdoor boots are changed at once for thin slippers when the child is in the house, even if it is only for a short time. One of the most disfiguring deformities from which a child can suffer is that of protruding ears. Yet this can be easily remedied if sufficient care be taken. Every child who shows the slightest tendency to protruding ears should wear skeleton caps while sleeping, and as much as possible dining the day. And the child should be closely watched while sleeping, to see whether it is lying on the bent ear or not. The habit. of pulling a child's ear, even in fun, is a bad one, and a box on the ear ha-s often injured a chdd's hearing for life. Another important consideration during a child's .early life is the hair. If it seems to be growing unevenly, or splitting, it should be well clipped and cared for until the condition disappears. Vaseline and oliveoil are the two best .scalp-foods for young children: and the use of cither of these, with careful brushing, will strengthen the roots and nourish the hair, so that, as a rule, it will be pretty in later life. And the teeth, too, should be carefully watched. When the second, or permanent, teeth appear, care must be taken that they are not crowded, and that they come evenly. Let the dentist see the child twice a year, and oftener if there be need. In this'way disfigurement and subsequent pain will be avoided.

A mother is not always capable of understanding why a well-brought-up child should be cross or rude, and she is likely to forget, too, that " crankiness" is sometimes a sign that there is something wrong with the child. Mere nervousness is not at all dangerous to life, but if not properly attended to may lead to serious trouble. A nervous child must be treated with great, kindness and fact, and Bier moods and pranks tolerated with patience. >>he must not be irritated or teased. She ought to be petted, even at the risk of spoiling her a little, for as soon ■as she recovers she will go back to decent behaviour. She should be fed well and abundantly, and needs a tonic. Her school-work should be looked into, and if found too hard she should be taken away from school for a time. All excitement should be avoided, and the little one should have all the fresh air and outdoor life possible. If she be thu» dealt with, she will in all probability recover quickly and return to her normal state of health," but if intelligent care be not expended on her she may remain a sufferer from " nervousness" in some form or other for the rest of her life. 4