AS SEEN THROUGH ’Woman’s Eyes

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXII, Issue I, 7 January 1899, Page 30

AS SEEN THROUGH ’Woman’s Eyes

DELICATE CHILDREN. In the vast majority of cases where the health of a child becomes impaired, its strength lessened, its frame emaciated, and its appearance wan and puny, the blame is to be laid on the parents’ shoulders. In some instances the cause may be traced to heredity, and even then sickly parents cannot expect to have healthy bairns; but, as a rule, the trouble arises from carelessness or ignorance on the part of those who have the care of the little invalid. Illness must, of course, be expected; and of the many ills to which the flesh is heir, a large proportion occur in childhood. Infantile troubles, such as measles, whoopingcough, etc., are not in themselves particularly dangerous; with ordinary care the patient passes through them all right; but the mother’s attention must not cease as soon as the doctor has been dismissed. Up to twelve or fourteen years of age —I might almost say up to the time when growth ceases —the frame is enfeebled more or less by an attack of illness, and it is after the child is ‘cured,’ that great care must be taken to build up its strength again—to repair the ‘waste’ that has taken place. A convalescent should have nourishing and strengthening food, but that food should be specially chosen with due regard to the constitution, so that it may be properly digested and duly assimilated into the system. While robust bairns may well go from meal to meal without anything to eat, their appetites sharp-edged when they sit down to the table, the child who is recovering from an illness should be fed more frequently, so that there may be no overloading of the stomach weakened by disease. Tonics may be given to stimulate the appetite if it be bad .though this should be done charily and a generous diet should be plentifully interspersed with ripe fruit and green vegetables; this to keep the bowels in order and avoid the necessity for medicines of the aperient or astrihgent order. But for a delicate child—no matter from what cause that delicacy may have arisen—l know of no more generally effective treatment than a course of eod liver oil cream.

To some extent a woman can scarcely help becoming vain; for is not a pretty or well-dressed woman of more consequence throughout the world than her plainer or dowdy sister, though that same sister be far the better woman of the two? Vanity prevents many women from becoming slatterns. A vain woman naturally always wishes to show to the best advantage, and this makes her careful of her personal appearance and of her surroundings, controls her temper and actions, and generally improves tier in a thousand different ways. DRESSING GIRLS ALIKE. While waiting for a train at a country station a few days ago, my attention was drawn to a group of children who were evidently going for a holiday, as I judged from the festive apparel in which they were clothed. One thing, however, marred their appearance; five little girls, presumably sisters, were dressed exactly alike, regardless of individual style and complexion. in. I must confess, very pretty pink frocks, and hats trimmed with the same shade. While the tint suited four of the children, the fifth was decidedly at a disadvantage, being the unfortunate possessor of locks of a fiery hue. I think it only kind of mothers to dress their little girls in colours which suit them —the expense is no greater, and the result speaks for itself. Personally I do not like to see sisters dressed alike—it always gives me the impression that a remnant has been purchased at a bargain counter, and must be used in the family. If the ruddy-haired one had worn a suitable colour, such as navy, bronze green, or even black velvet, she would have looked even prettier than her sisters. As it was, the desire to dress all alike was a decided mistake. Very few sisters have the same shade of hair and eyes or the same cast of feature; and as the aim of every mother is to dress her children becomingly, these details should be taken into consideration when it is a question of selecting new hats and dresses.

TIRED EYES. People speak about their eyes being tired, meaning that the retina or seeing portion of the eye is fatigued, but such is not the case, as the retina hardly ever gets tired. The fatigue is in the inner and outer muscle attached to the eyeball, and the musciC of accommodation which surrounds the lens of the eye. When a near object is to be looked at, this muscle relaxes and allows the lens to thicken, increasing its refractive power. The inner and outer muscles are used in covering the eye on the object to be looked at, the inner one being especially used when a near object is looked at. It is in the three muscles mentioned that the fatigue is leit, and relief is secured temporarily by closing the eyes, or gazing at far distant objects. The usual indication of strain is a redness of the rim of the eyelid, betokening a congested state of the inner surface, accompanied with some pain. Sometimes this weariness indicates the need of glasses rightly adapted to the person, and in other cases the true remedy is to massage the eye and its surroundings as far as may be with the hand wet in cold water.