LADIES' COLUMN

Thames Star, Volume LXII, Issue 17387, 27 March 1928, Page 2

LADIES' COLUMN

,OUlt BABIES. (By HygeiaQ "MOTHEWOIUFT" FOB GIHL GUIDES. In response to requests from the Girl Guides' Association,, the Plunket nurses in many districts from time to time instruct companies of Girl Guides for their "Child Nurse . Badge." A short series of talks and demonstrations is given covering the simple essentials of child care. At tihe end a few questions are set, and the answers are often strikingly good, "and prettily expressed, too, as will be seen from the following answers, which are typical of many written by schoolgirls from say. 14 to 17 years of age. Question. —Give your reasons why artificial feeding oi babies is., inferior to natural feeding. Answer. —Artificial feeding is not the way Nature intended a baby to be fed. It is unnatural. It is inclined to be insanitary. Bottles, teats, etc., if not treated with the greatest care, can., accumulate germs dreadfully, which are thus introduced into the baby's system. ' It may largely do away with "mothering" of the baby, whereas the natural way makes a strong bond of love between the mother and baby. Babies fed arti* ficially are more prone to disease than naturally fed babies. More artificially fed babies die than naturally fed ones. Artificial feeding inclines baby to colic, indigestion, etc. The milk of the cow is not so digestible as natural food, and it is too strong in protein element. The baby's digestion is made arid formed for human milk, and the strong curd of cow's milk is ruinous to the kidneys. Q. —Describe how you would look after a little girl of about three years of age From first thing in the morning until last thing at night, mentioning what you might give her i'-)v breakfast dinner, and tea.

A.—Betty woke u:> at 6.30; and began to talk to the animals on the wallpaper. I left her till 7 o'clock, and then gave her her cool sponge-over, while I tried to answer all her questions. I dressed her, [jutting on 'her long singlet and tiny bodice, her little panties (which fastened on to buttons on the bodice), her flannel petticoat, and her favourite blue romper with rabbits round the neck. I sat her in her high chair and put on her mackintosh feeder. Betty loves porridge, and does not think of having sugar on it. She very soon had a delightful mess on her feeder, but I let her try to feed herself, to learn, until I had to rescue the spoon, and she soon finished with my help. Next came crisp toast and butter, a drink of milk, and last a piece of raw anple for her teeth. After breakfast *I "sat her down" till her bowels moved, and then let her play out on the lawn till she came in for a "dink." I only gave her some water, and she resumed playing until her daiily rest soon after 10. I took off her rompers and petticoat, and covered her up, and she was soon fast asleep. Betty woke just in time to have her face and hands wished for dinner. She loves to imagine what, she is going to have, and by the look of delight she gave me when I brought in her.potato and spinach and gravy I think she was quite satisfied, and she enio.ved the plate of stewed fruit and milk and the crust and apple which followed. After dinner I "sat her down" again and put on her afternoon frock, and presently we went out to see- the big cat which lived in the £ next street, When we came home Betty had her warm bath, and was quickly made to glow all over. She "looks sweet in her little flannel nightie and warm blue slippers and dressing-gown. Then I put on her egg to cook, and took it off when the white just set. I took out of a tin some of the strips of bread I had previously baked in the oven, and Betty had" them with butter. After this she. had a piece of brown bread with a scraping of honey. She is quite capable; of drinking her milk and' water out "of the .little cup with "Jack and Jill" on it, and how she loves"her apple at the end, too. After tea a little play, and then, quickly kissing her ''Good-night," I popped her into her sleeping-bag, and called her father to kiss her "Good-night," too. Hetty sleeps on the wide verandah, as she is quite healthy and strong. Before I went to bed I stole out to see if she was quite warm and ."comfy." She was as warm as toast, and her little cold nose and cheeks assured me that she was gaining the benefits of the fresh air. THE SEWING ROOM. Many women who do a good deal of needlework and home-dressmaking manage to have a little room in which they can sew uudistrubed. It may-lie a small, unusual nursery, which is no longer required by children now in school, or even the corner of a spare bedroom. When a whole room can be spared for sewiing, things can be spread about the room as much as one likes. "A firm table, on which one can cut out, is necessary, with drawers

to hold scissors, cottons, tape measure pins, etc. Another small table, to hold the machine, "a cupboard or wardrobe one or two chairs, and a well-stocked work-box or "work-basket are also required When only a portion of a room can be devoted to sewing, tools and materials must be kept in a smaller space. Sometimes ita is not possible to leave the machine on a table. ' In this case, get a large wooden box from the grocer, but see that it has a lid and is deep enough to take the machine comfortably. Clean it, and cover inside and out with stout wall or brown paper, which will cover up any roughness or inequalities in the wood. Screw castors at the four corners of the bottom. Then cover the box, top and sides, inside and out, with cretonne in a shade to match the furnishing of the room. On the inside stitch pockets of various sizes, with elastic; at the upper edges, to hold tapes, cottons and the various odds and ends required for sewing. On the inside of the lid make a large pocket or two smaller ones. Secure, the various portions in place with small tacks oi brass-headed ones. Pad the top well, cover with cretonne nd varnish the outside of the box as neatly as possible. The machine and all the requirements for sewing are kept neatly out of sight free from dust, and the box" makes a good seat, and, if nicely covered, it looks quite well in a bedroom or sit-ting-room. %. USEFUL HINTS. Before darning stockings with woollen yarn shrink it while in the skein by hanging it where the steam from a boiling kettle can reach it. Then dry. It will shrink and cause other holes if this precaution is omitted. Velvet that has been spotted with the rain should not be brushed dry. Shake the velvet and leave it. The water will evaporate and show no mark unless the velvet was dusty before getting wet. In that case, wipe the velvet while still damp, with a clean damp cloth. This will remove the dust. Then shake well and leave to dry.