Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-05-25
Protection for the Hands.

1t is exceedingly disagreeable to havo
the hands rough, swollen and sore, es-
pecially if one wishes to write or sew;
yet / never could wear gloves success
fully about my Homework, as many
house-keepers do. Even when doing
cold, rough work in which mittens or
gloves seem indispensable, | often find
myself casting them impatiently aside
proverb about cat in gloves. They
seem clumsy and in the way. Neither
can | spare my hands by use of tho
dish mop so lauded by an occasional
pen. 1t may possibly be owing to the
force of long continued habit that I
can not wash my dishes satisfactorily
with other than linen or other soft.
easily-wrung and easily-kept clean dish
cloth.
There are few tasks in which / find
mittens or gloves veritable necessity,
and one of these is the blacking of
stoves. Not only is the backing itself
difficult to remove, but it actually seems
to poison the flesh. Old, cast-off gloves
will not answer, as they are always
more or less out at the finger ends, as
well as short in the wrist Gloves or
mittens about as good as any for this
purpose may be made of coarse, thick
cotton cloth; or canton flannel may be
used, but this does not wash so easily.
They should be made to fit the hands
comfortably, with long wrists. 10 come
well up over the sleeves. Thus pre-
pared, with big apron from top to toe,
a thick turban over your hair, brush
for putting on the blacking, and another
long handled one for polishing, the
backing of stoves is not the most dis
agreeable work in the world. Still, it
is better to turn it over to the men Of
your household if you can. They will
do it in half the time, and, the proba-
bilities are, with more satisfactory re-
suits.
Another thing for which mittens or
gloves are important is the hanging out
Of clothes in cold or frosty weather,
They will save much aching Of fingers.
if not, indeed, some colds and sore
Threats also A pair should be kept ex-
clusively for this purpose, for if allowed
to be used in other ways they are sure
when wanted to be so soiled as TO spot
and blacken the clothes. If you can
knit or crochet, gloves or mittens of fine
white yarn are very desirable, though a
pair mdQe either Oh IIUe canton or real
flannel viii answer every purpose. The
seams should be stitched on the ma
chine; then pressed open, and "cat-
stitched down by hand
But most important of all are gloves
or mittens for handling wood and keep
ing winter fires, and especially when
stoves are used for burning chunks or
big wood, which often has to go in at
the top. Ii the hands are at all delicate
or sensitive they will, unless protected,
be continually rough and sore. not only
from contact with the rough wood, but
also from the action of the undue heat
upon the flesh. Mittens Of yarn. or any
wooden material, scorch too easily and
are not suitable. Mittens of stout can
ton flannel viii answer, though pair
of smaI-sized men gloves of some soft.
stout leather, with deepgauntlet wrists,
are best The expense is not great, and
they viii more than pay for themselves
in one season, if you have many fires to
build, in the greater comfortableness
and smoothness Of your hands.-Cor.
Country Gentlemen.