The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-06-19
8be Tarmt.
Hints for the Household.

Mrs. G.. g., WHIPPING A CHILD.-We
do not bel:eve in whipping a child, unless in
very rare and exceptional instances. Whip
ping a child makes him sly and deceitful !;
hardens his heart, and blunts his suscepti-
bilitIes makes him a sneak and a coward
it is a cruel, cowardly, brutal proceeding TO
whip a defenceless little one, who Is depend
ent upon and at the mercy OF his parents.
By exercising a better control over your own
temper, and not allowing yourself ever TO be
angry with your children, you will doubtless
find less occasion for whipping them.
SARAH.-DREss.-You should dress in
such a manner that your attire Will not occu-
py your thoughts after it is upon you. Let
every garment be well fitted and well put on,
ugly in no point, fussy in no point, nor made
of such noticeable material that you neces-
sarily carry with you the consciousness that
people around you are examining 1T. Make
your attire always subordinate to yourself,
tributary to your charms, rather constituent
of them. Then the society in which you
move will see you, and not your housings
and trappings. Sarah was dressed very
becomingly," or 'how well Sarah looked,
are very much more complimentary COM
ments than that was a splendid dress Sarah
wore )" and you have a tolerably acute
mind you may gather from these expressions
the philosophy of the whole thing.
Mrs. A. Y, ADVICE TO A WIFE. 1t is
difficult to advise you from your letter. We
surmise from it's tone that your troubles may
arise from a certain %frctful, uneasy and wor-
risOme disposition in you. 1t your husband
is not always disposed to be communicative,
have patience and let him alone. If he oc-
casionally looks a little troubled when he
comes home, do not say to him, with an
alarmed countenance, What ails you, my
dear?' Don't bother him he will tell you
of his W accord, if need be. Don't rattle
a hailstorm of fun about his ears, either; be
Observant and quiet. Do not suppose when
ever he is quiet and thoughtful that you are
OF course the cause. Let him alone until he
is inclined to talk take up your books or
your needle-work, but pleasantly, cheertully;
no ~pOuting, no sullenness and wait until he
is inclined to tell his troubles.
Z. II. s., ARROw-ROoT.-Take a dessert
spoonful of arrow-root powder, and carefully
mix it With a little cold water in a basin with
a spoon; then pour upon it half a pint of
boiling water, assiduously stirring until it is
thoroughly mixed boil it for FIVE minutes,
add fresh COW milk and a pinch of salt, and
sweeten with loaf sugar. If this is to be
given to an infant, sufficient COW 5 milk must
be added to make it of the proper consistent
cy to be taken from the nursing bottle.
Mrs. b. III. Go prevent your children
taking cold from being uncovered at night,
let them wear a flannel night gown. All
young children, too young to keep themselves
covered, should wear flannel at night, as
they frequently throw the clothes off them
selves, and have occasion to be taken up at
night, and if they have not a flannel gown
on are likely to catch cold, on which account
we recommend it to be worn. For an infant
the usual cotton night gown should be worn
under the flannel one.
EMMA L., HABITUAL Coop HEALTH.-
You should use every means in your power
to build UP and establish Il strong, robust
constitution, to establish a condition of hab-
itual good health. Every woman who has
any kind of liability to become a mother, or
a nurse of the sick, or to meet other exhaust
ing emergencies of the family state. needs
reserved force of vital strength, which many
women who seem to be i'll perfect health find
lacking III such emergencies. The want of
this is one cause of the frequent failure of
health after marriage, SO common among
An erican women, and Is one result of a
transmitted delicate constitution. There are
thousands of young mothers in North Caro-
lima who lost their first baby by recklessness,
tight laclng, and neglect of health.
j. ". DRINKS FOR THE SICK.-These
must depend very much on the character of
the disease. Where there is fever and thirst.
the bland mucilaginous or sub-acid drinks
are best to allay both thirst and irritation
OF these there is a great variety. Toast
water, the simplest of all, is also one of the
most grateful. 1t is made by ~toasting very
thoroughly on both sides a half-slice of bread |
a day or two old, and pouring over it a quart
of cold water, and then putting it into a hot
place and letting it steep for half an hour or
SO. A small piece of lemon-peel or orange
peel put into the water with the toast takes
away the ~fatness OF taste. 1t should be
taken cold, but not ice-cold. This will be
found an agreeable drink for delicate chill
dren with whose stomach cold water does
not agree.
Mrs. A. III. j., VARIETY IN CHILDREN's
DIET.-We recommend a great sameness in
an infant diet bY an infant we mean under