Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-02-16
Gaaies' G9Ialasn
NURSERY COOKERY

NURSERY COOKERY.
Whatever may be the form of arti-
fetal food prepared for child under
twelve years of age, let the ingreients
be few and simple. The natural and
the common sense impulse is to give
nourishmenr prepared under the
mothers eye as it is needed the pref
erence over the patented parcels Of
doubtful antiquity and unknown
components bought from druggists
or others. A friend, whose six
months-ol child stood in need of
hand-feeding, once brought me what
she denominated in her maternal in
dignation "a murderous mess she
had cooked 1t with her own hands in
porcelain-lined kettle. 1t looked like
biscuit paste, was streaked with yell
low, and smelled like rancid butter,
or, to speak more plainly, soap
grease. When, in the interests of
the rising generation, | forced my
self to taste it, | was certain of pres
ence of saleratus or some cognate
alkali, and of sugar and salt, but
rancidity held the balance of power.
A neighbor had reared three babies
upon this preparation and recommend
ed it highly. My hostess had bought
the certified package from a respect
able druggist, had taken it directly
to the kitchen, opened and cooked it
according to printed directions within
an hour after the purchase was made.
Like accidents have befallen can
ned 'tInfants' Food" of divers brands
and tempting titles. | have in my
mind one warranted to be superior to
mothers milk, of which hungry
baby ate six times a day before my
compassionate eyes. 1t was brown
ish, viscous, heterogeneous, and hor-
rible. The complacent mother knew
nothing of its composition except
that it was lauded by an acquaintance
and $50 convenient, requiring only
to be mixed with water to be ready
for use" Baby liked it, for it was
inordinately sweet, containing brown
sugar or treacle.
The most fragrant triiin9 with in
fantile digestion that ever came di-
rectly under my observation was in a
farmhouse in rich grazing country.
In a frst-foor chamber, where the
breath of kline and the fragrance of
the warm milk they gave night and
morning in foaming pailfuls arose to
the open windows, lay puny baby
fighting for its life with marasmus.
The fearful mother had no natural
supply for him since he was three
months old. Up to that time he was
healthy and plump. Since her milk
had failed-poor flat-chested, tallow-
faced country girl Baby had failed
too. He weighed less now at -four
months old than when he was born.
"Mother says I'll never raise
him p sobbed the young matron
"Yet we've done everything We
could to save him"
While speaking she was coaxing
the almost unconscious creature t
take spoonful of something Sc
equivocal in complexion and consis
,, tency that asked what it was.
,, "Soda cracker, pounded fine ant
wet with cold water,' was the reply
eve have fed him on it altogethe
since l lost my nurse Cows mill
is so apt to disagree with teethin:
babies, mother says, and this is s
: simple it couldn't hurt fly. Some
times, when he is so very weak, | pa
q little brandy in it.
The story is literally true.
A stout heart may well quail 9
the thought of giving any recipe fo
the preparation of nusery food tina
the simple substitute for human mil
- described in our last number Whe
the cereals that give body to seen
lngly innocent mixtures, and th
> sugar that sweetens them, are adu
terated for the market, one hesitate
to say what is in the cup of pap hel
ir to the eager little mouth. While nc
j; denying that some of the ready-mad
o foods may be safely used when pos
y lively known to be fresh, | may yer
h ture to offer q recipe used for teri
r of years and with excellent effect
il my own nursery, and to my know
u edge in many others where strong
y healthy babies were reared. 1t
especially useful as food for chlldre
rs whose increase of growth an
strength has outrun the mother
ability to provide fully for the