Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-24
THE HOME



"A lady correspondent Of Moore's Rural New
Yorker says: "Much improvement in the dress
OF girls has been made In the past few years.
The old and time-honored custom OF leaving
the neck and arms bare, Asen in winter, thou "a
perhaps adding grace AM beauty, and serving
to display the finely nodded and dimpled arms
and neck, has succumbed to the innov atoms
brought about by greater intelligence and q
better understanding OF hygienic laws. Mothers
seem at last to have learned that the tender
infant or the little girl old enough to run about
into cold rooms, or through an open door into
the street, needs protection from cold and sud-
den changes as well as herself. And we may
thank caprlcious fashion for having adopted
high necks and long sleeves. The benefits of
this change are greatly apparent in the dimin-
ishiDg of diptheria, Group, scarlet fever, and
other kindred malades, to which children are
Many dear little one whose bed is now with
the sleepers the Silent city, might be fill
ing the house with music and the mothers
heart with glad ness, had it not been for insult
cheney of protection from changes of the
weather.
Yet there is still room for improvement. see
many children whose lower limbs are quite too
much exposed for health or comfort. 1t is not
infrequent to meet little girls with dresses up
TO the knee, and with but one pair of perhaps
cambria drawers open at the bottom, and thin
cotton stockings. Any grown person, or boy,
would freeze IL clad thus. No wonder that so
many, when they arrive at the age of woman
hood, have no constitutions, and are good for
little but fashionable invalids, whose chief bus
mess through life is TO supply the doctor with
good fees. Every child should wear a pair of
underdrawers made of Canton flannel, or, bet
ter still, OF wool, buttOned on to a waist or the
chemise, cut as small as the leg at the bottom
and left open little way and extending down
under the stocking TO the top OF the high shoe;
over these pair, but moderately full, button
ing just below the knee. The band is prettiIy
finished with a narrow ruffle or a bit of embroi-
derry. know many think they do not look as
well as when made open at the bottom, but they
are certainly much more comfortable and sem
sible. And what careful, loving mother will
not more regard the health than the looks OF
her dear ones?
very nice way for the everyday dress of lit
tie ones, from to years of age, is to have the
dress and pants of the same materisl-some
plaid or stripe. If of Gotten, some pretty giny-
ham, or even fine check or striped print, look
well. Then, with warm stockings and shoes
which will defy dampness, the mother need not
be afraid to let her little girl have exercise in
the open air in any mild day, and feel assured
that she will grow up stronger and healthier
than if kept dressed like doll and in the par
lor, for fear of spelling her fine clothes. A pair
of knit woollen leggings, drawn high over the
knee, give additional warmth and comfort, the
little girl may defy the cold and exercise with
her sled or skates with much impunity as her
tough, rosy brother.
SOUP MAKING.
There is no way in which the comfortable
abundance of a table may be better insured
while at the same time a strict eve is kept upon
economical expenditure OF means, than by an
almost daily addition OF soup to the family din
ner. From the carelessness, slOvenly manner
III which 1t is too often prepared, many acquire
an almost lnvincible repugnance to this other
wise palatable and nutritious article of diet. 1t
Is only when concOcted by an Indifferent cook
that coup deserves the contemptuous sobriquet
Of ''slops," so often applied to it. 1t is sur
prising from what a scanty allotment of mate
nal dainty dish OF soup may be served. Let
roast OF beef be consumed to the very bone, a
turkey or pair of fowls deprived of every Joint,
yet II the carcass Is put away it furnishes at
once the needed basis. The French understand
this TO perfection, and We read that in Partisan
kitchens closed vessel containing the ''potage,
is ever at the firesde, awaiting any and every
contribution the skillful griZette anon supplies
from the surplus OF other dishes in process of
preparation. But we propose to give directions
suited to American habits and tastes. The
following hints we trust will not be found un-
timely, and are extracted from a manuscript
recipe book OF au old and famous Nirginian
housekeeper in the first place, observe
always to lay your meat in the bottom of
the pan or pot, cutting the meat up, OF, if a
bone, cracking 1t well. lump of butter adds
richness but it is not necessary. Select such
herbs and vegetables as you prefer, cut tn EN- up
very small and lay over the meat, with a very
little water and a cautiously small piece of salt.
Cover the vessel with close fitting lid and set
it by slow fire; this will draw out all the virtue
OF the herbs and roots, giving the SOUP a differ
ent flavor from what is Impaired by putting the
full quantity OF water at first. Turn the
meat frequently. When the gravy produced is
almost dried up, fill your pot with sutf Gent
quantity of water TO make soup enough for your
family. To large shank bone OF beef three
quarts, or even one gallon is not too much to
allow. When your soup is done take it OIL the
fire to cool, and skim thoroughly from grease
Put IL on again, and be sure not to dsh it up
unless boiling hot. Be careful to add salt and
other high fla vored condiments sparingly: every
table is provided with salt-cellar and casters SO
that a deficiency in these respects may be easily
recuhed; not SO an over quantity. If other
thickening than the vegetables used is deemed
advisable, brOtcn the flour for all SOUPS save
chicken, veal and oyster soup.
WHITE UNDERCLOTHING.
The Herald of Health recommen ds white uI.~
derclothing; as not only more healthful, but on
account OF 1t not radisting the heat of the body
as some other cOOrs do. Another strong incen
tive is the avoidance of possible poisoning, re-
sultiDg from deleteriOus dyes. The journal of
Chemistry gives aninstance of the'pOisOnous eff.
fects OF aniline cOlors upon the skin in the ex-
perience of gentleman of Byfield. He had
few days previous purchased some new under
shirts of cotton, cOlored with various tints
among which aniline red predominated. In a
short time after putting on the garment q pc.
cullar eruption, of an irritating nature, appeared
on the portion OF the body covered by the cloth.
The effects were not merely local, but to a con-
siderable extent constitutional, pain and UNI
easiness being experienced In the back and
was caused by dye cOlOrs, it may be stated tn at
portion Of the garment about the upper part
OF the chest was lined on the upper side, and
wherever this came in contact with the skin no
eruption or redness appeared. 1t is not proba-
bic, the journal remarks, that the number of
persons Is large who possess such idiosyncracies
OF constitution as to be easily poisoned by dive
eolors, but that there are some does not admit
of doubt.