The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-11-22
CHILDRENS' CLOTHING.
Health and Comfort Should be the Moth-
er's Guide.

Health and Comfort s6ould be the Moth-
er's Guide.
In making winter clothes for children
health and comfort should be the moth
ers guide. On account of the many
diseases incident to cold weather,
winter is regarded by many as time
of unavoidable sickness among children.
But the illness from which they suffer
at this time is very often the result of
their not being properly protected from
the cold. Many a child's health, and
even life, is sacrificed, to crafty the
vain ambitions of a fashionable mother.
was waiting at depot one morning
last winter when a lady entered, lead
ing by the hand little girl of about
four years. The child was dressed in a
suit of tir1 white wooden goods, elabo-
rately embroidered in white silk. A
cloak of the same material was made to
match the dress. None of her clothing
extended below her knees. She wore
pair of fine stockings, in which there
was little warmth, while her feet were
covered with thin, fancy shoes. The
only protection on her head was a small
blue velvet bonnet, which covered few
inches on the top; and from under
meath this protruded an abundance OF
curls and frizzes. The day was cold and
windy, and the child was shivering from
head to foot. The mother drew near
the fire to thaw out the poor little mar
| tyr, and as l watched the child's purple
face and numb little hands, and thought
| OF the suffering she was enduring, /
wondered that mother would so sacri-
flee her child's comfort for the sake of
vain desire to have her appear stylishly
| dressed.
A fashionable young mother of my
| acquaintance is grieving to-day over the
loss of an only and loved child, little
girl three years of age. TWAS said that
| she died of pneumonia, but had they said
''died from exposure while fashionably
dressed, it would have been the simple
truth. She was a beautiful child, and
the mother was so vain of her lovely APP
pearance that she spent most of her
time in making snowy clothes for the
little one. After being exposed to the
cold one day, while dressed in her ut.
terly unsuitable clothes, she was taken
dangerously i'll at night and died in two
| days time.
There is many mother who has not
the courage to dress her children in
sensible, comfortable manner, simply
because she is afraid they will be criti-
cized. If her ncighbor's boy wears
tight knee pantaloons, and her neigh
| boris little daughters dresses come only
to the knees, leaving their eXtremities
| to suffer with cold WhV hers must do
likewise, or else suffer the criticism OF
her more fashionable neighbor!
1t is the duty 81 parents, so far as it is
in their power, to lay the foundation foI
strong, vigorous constitutions in their
children. This cannot be done if the
healthy growth of their bodies is
checked by severe colds and diseases
produced by exposure to the cold.
| Children's winter clothes should be
made of warm, substantial material.
Far better spend the money in keeping
the body warm and preventing disease,
| than to slAend it for medicine and doc
tors bills. Particularly should mothers
protect well their extremities. Have
warm, woelen stockings and long, heavy
! leggins to protect the feet and legs
Let the claaks and overcoats extend to
the shoe tops. Protect the girls heads
with soft wooden hoods that extend
down over the neck; and the boys caps
should be so arranged as to furnish pro.
lection to their neclIs and ears. Knit
the mittens with long wrists, so there
will be no air holes for the cold to get
to the arm Nellie Burns, in C0untrg
| Gentleman.