West-Jersey pioneer., 1876-11-16
HOW TO KEEP FEET WARM.

To go with cold feet is to undermine the
constitution and this half the women and
the girls are doing. They have habit of
cold feet, and an accompanying habit of ill
health; think home-knit wooden stockings
are not very fashionable. Once, no country
girl was reckoued fit to be married until she
had knit her pillow case full of stockings,
but it is not SO now / do not regret that
less handwriting is done now than former
ly, but | hope we shall not give up warm
woolen stockings for winter use until we
can replace them with something better
Merino, or the common 'sboughten'' white
wool stockings, are rather thin, but some
of us supplement them with an additional
pair of cotton stockings wearing the cotton
OF woolen pair next the feet, as individuals
prefer. Cold feet are often caused, at least
in part by too tight elastics OF bands at
the top Of the stockings, or by tight Shoes
or shoes tight in the ankles. These inter
fere with the circulation of the blood and
there cannot be comfortable degree of
warmth without a good circulation and
eration of the blood. Ny last lesson in
this matter came from baby's experience
last September, Suddenly she contracted
habit of having cold feet, and when l
warmed them the skin seemed hard and
inactive, suggesting the need of bath,
when bath did not seem necessary except
for the feet. At length it occurred to me
that her f'ankleties' had been too loose,
and just before we came home from our
visit young lady had set the buttons back
further, to make the little slippers stay on
better. Ever since that change the slipper
straps had been too tight around her ankles,
especially after put on woolen stockings.
changed the buttons again, and her feet
no longer got cold, except in consequence
of the actual rigors of the climate. Some
well informed persons object to Congress
CATERS, the elastics are usually SO firm and
close about the ankle. Only very loose
CATERS are allowable, and these may not be
necessary when the stockings are worn
over under drawers. Carriers 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
kitchens where the floors in winter are
always cold. 1t helps matters to have a
carpet down, but the kitchen carpet is OBJ
jectionable on the score of cleanliness
especially where there are many children.
A few large, thick rugs are better. These
can be shaken often, and will afford the
kitchen occupants warm places to stand or
sit at their work. There are some very
cold days when 1 wear my arctic overshoes
all day. and the children also keep on over
shoes. The floors of our houses are many
degrees colder than the air about our heads.
| One thing too little thought of in this
connecting is absolutely essential to healthy
warmth of body-that is pure air. Men
who work in the open air some every day
have great advantage over housekeepers.
Their blood gets oxygenated, and SO puri-
fed las far as such degree of air can do it,
and prepared to warm and nourish the
body, of which the blood is the constant
up-builder. Everybody, male and female,
old and young, ought to get out of doors
some every day and breathe with the mouth.
The air of sleeping rooms and other liv-
ing rooms should be purified each day.
Keep brick or soapstones in the oven, to
be wrapped up and put under your feet
when you are obliged to sit for some time
at distance from the fire, especially if you
are writing or studying.