Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-02-28
Protection for the Hands.

1t is exceedingly dIsagreeable to hav,
the hands rough, swollen and sore. es
pecialIy if one wishes to write or sew
yet never could wear gloves success
fully about my hOuse-work, as many
house keepers do. Even when doing
cold, rough work in which mittens ol
gloves seem indispensable, often finG
myself casting them impatiently aside
as murmur to myself the time-worr
proverb about cat In gloves. They
seem clumsy and In the way. Neither
can spare my hands by use of the
dish mop" so lauded by an occasional
pen. 1t may possibly be owing to the
force of long-continued habit that
can not wash my dishes satisfactorily
with other than linen or other soft,
easily wrung aud easily-kept clean dish.
cloth.
There are few tasks in which l find
mittens or gloves veritable necessity,
and one of these is the backing OF
stoves. Not only is the blacking itself
difficult to remove, but 1t actually seems
to poison the flesh. Old, cast-off gloves
will not answer, as they are always
more or less out at the tinger-ends, as
well as short in the wrist. Gloves or
mittens about as good as any for tins
purposed 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 tine hands
comfortably. with long wrists, to come
well up over the sleeves. Thus pre-
pared. with big apron from topic toe,
a thick turban over your hair, a brush
for putting on the blacking, and another
long-hsndled one for polishing, the
blacking Of stoves is not the most disa-
Creeable 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
throats 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 10 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 pair made either of fine canton
or real flannel will answer every pur-
pose. The seams should be stitched on
the machine then pressed open, and
''cat-stltched" 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 deli
cate or sensitive they will, unless pro-
tected, 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 woolen material, scorch
too easily and not suitable. Mittens of
stout canton flannel will answer, though
a pair of snali-sized mems gloves of
come soft, stout leather, with deep
gauntlet wrists, are best. The ex-
pense is not great, and they will more
.ilan pay for themselves in one season,
il you have manly fires to build, in the
greater comiortableness and smooth
less of your hands.