WOMAN'S WORLD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14220, 17 November 1909, Page 9

WOMAN'S WORLD.

LONG CHAINS FOR SHORT WOMEN.

TEACHING CHILDREN.

One wonders how many, mothers still continue, as in the old days of a few years back, to teach their children ■to i. read, together with other elementary instruction, and the church catechism? ; Schools of all sorts are more abundant than ever before, and yet these earlier lessons, learned as they should be at the mother's knees, are the most important of all. For one thing a mother knows each individual child "so well; she can judge so much better than anyone else what each little brain can assimilate and hold. Especially in -the,case of very young children it is most mportant that the understanding should be reached, and learning by rote alone avoided as much as may be. To this end the lessons ; given must be ex-' tremely simple, and few people save the mother has patience for this. • There is too much tendency now-a-days to be satisfied,by apparent results suet as lessons said " by 'heart,"..and without the understanding.

" ? The amusing blunders ■ made in consequence during i examinations are laughable enough, but they are also clear indications of careless and pedantic teaching. Archibishop Whateley somewhere observes that " to teach by rote mechanically, in hope that children will afterwards find out the meaning of what they have learned, is to make them swallow food first, and chew it afterwards " a good, if homely, illustration.v

• The work is not easy—and : most of us can look back to the time when our , own mothers toiled aver ourselves in this way, and in spite of laziness, inattention, and restlessness, actually succeeded in what they undertook, and implanted principles and foundations which nothing since has ever undermined. It is thankless ; work at the time, but nothing is so certain of harvest in the end. . >,■:■*:.-'--' '. ■

-•In the case .'of very little children it is most important not to attempt too much, and not to go on when the. little learner is really tired out. 1 A quarter to half an hour 'of one 'subject at a time is enough, and if the lessons can be broken by marching round the room to the sound of a piano so much the better. The most difficult things of all to teach are, I think, reading, writing, simple arithmetic, and the catechism,* though the latter is, of course, only older pupils. For reading a kind of game can be managed with pictured letters, and the children, after learning a new letter of the alphabet, can ,be set to find it as often as possible in' a paragraph of good, bold type in .one of their picture books. Or again, they can have a tray of silver sand, and ■ trace out the letter in that; and this will help also with writing, if it is done with a small; stick held, like fa pencil. Arithmetic is often a great stumbling block, and is best learnt at first, with concrete objects, when there is also the advantage of less confusion and brain strain, for if arithmetic is learnt entirely;from; a book, there ~is the difficulty of reading the. words, and numbers to' grapple with as. well, and for long time this will be hard for a child who has but just mastered read-J ing. It is better" to let him : clearly- understand very simple sums in multiplication and subtraction with tangible objects first;* and then to let him con the same over /in : a book if he has learnt to read. When so much is taught through books to begin with, the teachers forget how/ difficult • the mere; act- of reading in itself continues to be for a long time to the child, and fail to realise*' that two difficulties instead of one -are put before him in this way. '-*//,:

OLD-WIVES' REMEDIES. A good cream for the face and hands can be made at home of an ounce of shredded i. white wax and Van /ounce 7. of almond oil, : melted i slowly in a bowl ,by the side of the fire. .When liquid an ounce of rosewater should be added a few drops at a time, while the cream is well beaten" with a fork. 'It should be/kept, in a pot/ with • a wellfitting lid. ( • ,'" Few minor accidents cause more /than a bruised finger-nail. Much of the subsequent discomfort would be saved, however,; i if the finger were plunged' into very hot water directly the'accident ';■ has occurred. This will soften the ,- nail, and allow, it ; - to accommodate itself to the excess of blood round the bruise. The .finger, if still painful, can then be. wrapped in a bread and water poultice. > Should the-pain still Continue the following day it is a good plan to; scrape the nail with a penknife / until it is much thinner over the ; braise, while it ' often relieves the" pressure if the nail is then ■', pierced over the/ most blackened. spot with a perfectly clean? needle. ■" . " '. . :

A delightfully cool and fragrant wash' for the relief of sunburn <is made with i the juice of a fresh cucumber mixed with an equal quantity of ,< glycerine and. rosewater. The wash ; should be-dabbed on the face ; with ? a piece of cotton wool before going to bed at 1 night. When the skin is heated after violent exercise it is better to wipe a little almond oil , .or a good cream i over "i the face than" to > wash it with water V either warm or cold.;;. After the cream has been applied and wiped off the cooling lotion can be used. . ... '] • . '"' ...

.., ~ •>- ■; LAUNDRY BAGS. ~„ \ 'Y • Many housekeepers who have a taste for the elaborate and fastidious, in everything about the house go to ; the extent of embroidering > or ornamenting ;t their 4 laundrybags, . especially when they, are over-sup-plied •with fancy soft pillows' and exquisite drawn work." , ' " ' A laundry bag should be practical and useful rather than pleasing to the eye. A piece of- white , duck! or linen sewn with', a French seam and the word "Laundrystitched in large lexers in ' red or blue across the face of.it makes a neat; and durable bag for practical-purposes. ■. """ ~' : 'i" The washable' kind is always preferable. A- two : inch loop of strong tape should be sewn ! at both ; corners. The weight : of' the bag is.sometimes too much for one, and will cause it to tear at the corners. A favourite device of a certain housekeeper who believes in economising energy as much as possible consists of * a square piece of white cambric about a yard and a^hjilf.;■ each way, faced ; with a light blue muslin. At each of,the four corners is sewn a two-inch loop of good linen tape. By. bringing the four corners together and hanging all the loops on one nail a fairly spacious laundry bag with four openings through which every day the soiled clothes can be slipped easily, is achieved. .On washing day,: instead of laboriously shaking out the-"wash" .from the tightlystuffed bag, the loops are dropped and the clothes come out flat on the floor ready for sorting.' : ' : '.•' : '"' .. ;.;.■:-:.-..,■ Ik The ordinary laundry ' bag; should ; not be made too deep or narrow, but of such dimensions that the clothes can be clipped in and out easily.. ■ -v ', ; \ .' ';..■ r

• HAT PINS IN VARIETY. The summer hats, with their large assortment of gay colours, have brought forth many new hat pins of various designs. some of which are noteworthy on account of their size and bright colours. The rhiriestones and manufactured pearls are the most popular,: and are having quite: a * rage' in Pans. . The favourite designs are the spike and balls.. Even more unusual are the pearshaped heads.set with amethyst -and topaz. c The latest Parisian novelty is the navette, a lozenge; shape set with a pink stone. Such pins are intended to be' worn in pairs, and four are considered none too many with a large hat,. Such pins are a revival-of the , beautiful jewels beloved by Marie Antoinette. : They are set with i pearls rounded •with small j- garlands made of . flowers i and leaves, composed of imitation rubies, sapphires; «nd emeralds.. It. was predicted some months ago that jet had had such a vogue that, it would be put on one side. Though it is certainly less fashionable as.atrimming, jet jewellery is decidedly in demand. V Cabochon jet ornaments and hat pins are considered a. main part- of the -trimming of black and dark hats. Large round bails are extremely "popular.

The short .woman who is striving to make herself look taller, more willowy, and graceful, should patronise the long black chain worn round the neck and allowed to hang down below the knees. Large'carved black wood beads and jet ones are very picturesque. Another aid in gaining height is found in the little ornaments that hang at the side. The alms bag-is among the best for the ehort girl to adopt. It is hung from the belt by long ' cords, and adds length to the figure. - '