New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-01-02
warm Feet.

A correspondent of the american Agyicul-
turist furnishes that paper with the following
remarks on warm feet, which remarks are adj
mirably calculated for this latitude:
"To go with cold feet is to undermine the
constitution, and this half the women and the
girls are doing. They have a habit of cold
feet and an accompanying habit of i'll health
Thick, home-knit WOODEN stockings are not
very fashionable. Once, no country girl was
reckoned fit to be married until she had knit her
pillow-case of stockings but it is not so now
L do not regret that less handwriting is done
now than formerly, but I hope we shall not
give up warm wooden stockings for winter I'M
Til we can replace them with something bet
ter. Merino, or the common "boughten"
white wool stockings, are rather thin, but
some Of us supplement them with an addi-
tional pair of cotton stockings, wearing the
cotton or the wooden pair next the feet, as
individuals prefer. Cold feet are often caused,
at least in part, by too tight elastics or bands
at the tops Of the stockings, or by tight shoes,
or shoes tight in the ankles. These interfere
with the circulation Of tho blood, and there
cannot be a comfortable degree of warmth
without good circulation and aeration of the
blood. My last lesson in this matter came
from baby's experience last September. Sud-
denly she contracted habit of having cold
| feet, and when / warmed them the skin
| seemed hard and inactive, suggesting the
| need Of a bath, when bath did not seem
| necessary except for the feet. At length it
| occurred to me that her 'ankle-tes" had
| been too loose, and just before we came home
from our visit a young lady cousin had set the
buttons back farther, to make the little slip
pers stay on better. Ever since that change
the slipper-straps had been too tight around
her ankles, especially after I had put on
wooden stockings. l changed the buttons
| again, and her feet no longer got cold, ex-
| cept in consequence of the actual rigor of
| the climate. Some well-informed persons
object to Congress CATERS the eiastics are
usually so close and firm about the ankle.
Only very loose CATERS arc allowable, and
these may not be necessary when the stock
in the shape Of straps buttoning to both
waist and stockings are most sensible for
women as we'll as children.
"Many women are obliged to work in kitch-
ems where the floors, in winter, are always
cold 1t helps matters to have a carpet
down, but the kitchen carpet Is Objectionable
on the score of cleanliness, especially where
there are many children. A few large thicl
rugs are better. These can be shaken often
and will afford the kitchen occupants warn
: places to stand or sit at their work. There
| diO SUM NSiJ SoAu "hSH L Noai
arctic overshoes all day, and the children alst
, keep on overshoes. The floors of our house:
are many degrees colder than the air abou
our heads.
"One thing too little thought of in this con
. nection is absolutely essential to healthy
, warmth of the body. That is pure air. Mer
,, who work in the open air some every da,
, have great advantage over housekeepers
Their blood gets oxygenated, and so purified
Gas far as such degree of air can do it) ant
prepared to warm and nourish the body, o
which the blood is the constant up-builder
Everybody, male and female, old and young
ought to get out of doors some every day, ant
breathe freely cith the mouth.
"The air of sleeping rooms and other liv
, ing rooms should be purified every day.
: keep brick or soapstones In the oven, t
: be wrapped up and put under your feet whol
!. you are obliged to sit for sometime ut Q. dis
lance from the fire, especially If ~ ar
writing or studying"
IL T1arno x,,i11;ano;.o ron TT