The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-07-14
Good Books and Good Advice.

Good Books and Good Advice.
Dear Household Sisters:-I enjoy |
reading your letters and trying your
recipes very much, only we do not get
half enough of them. / have hesitated |
to do my part because / am not wise |
enough to write anything either inter-
esting or instructive. / am going to |
take up a new subject for the column.
/ have so much sympathy for suffering
women and girls that l want to recon-
mend (to those who have not heard of
them) Tokology," a book for every
woman, by Mrs. Alice b. Stockham,
Md, and For Girls" by Mrs. f. r.
Shepherd l know whereof l speak
when l say " For Girls " is just what
every girl from ten or twelve to twenty
years of age ought to have. Mothers
who have young daughters to bring up,
will you not see that they have this
book aud study it, too-that is, if you
want them to grow up strong, healthy
women? Many mothers can learn
great deal from it as well as the girls.
l wish could say something to ladies
who think the children (and often
themselves) must always be taking
medicine of some kind to make them
see how much better it would be for
them TO take plenty of pure air and
sunshine, and leave off the medicine.
OF course there are exceptional cases
when some medicine is needed, but
believe a great deal too much of the
wrong kind is taken in many cases.
Children can of course play and have
their work out-of-doors, and so get all
they need of the best of medicine, but
perhaps some of the sisters will say they
have so much to do that they have no
time to spend out-of-doors. Then l
say make time, and just here l would
like to say a great deal.
Ladies, you who do your own work,
especially those not strong, plan to
save steps; in that way you will not get
so tired and will be glad of little
change to out-of-door work, or a short
walk. There are many kinds of work
you can sit down to Just as well, and
you will find you can work all the faster
for the rest and change. Another way
to save great deal of time and strength
is the ironing, or rather not ironing,
clothes that are just as well without.
Ny mother used to talk to me for TAX
ing so much pains with the ironing.
Now she talks the other way; but | feel
Just as well and better if my under
wear is but slightly ironed as / should
if each piece was pressed an hour; and
the dishes look just as nice dried with
towels not ironed at all. Try it and
see. / want my white aprons, dresses
and all starched clothes done as nice as
any one, but for many articles, to be
clean is the main point with me. Put
ting the dishes back on the table when
washed, ready for the next meal, is
another way to save work: and many
other ways can be found by every
sensible woman. | have not learned
these ways because | am lazy, for |
love to work, and get so discouraged
because | cannot do the hardest of
everything. was obliged to learn them
then l found how much better it was to
save time indoors for exercise out-of-
, doors. | do not believe there is one
. woman in fifty but what can be out-of-
doors an hour or two nearly every
pleasant day as well as not, if they
would only try, and you would soon
: feel that you could not stay in day.
If YOU are not interested in the veg
! etable garden, or in raising small fruits,
or in poultry, have flowers, some work
\ to do in the open air, and you will get
$ paid with interest. If you have very
r Young children, take them with you:
the dear babies need the sunshine as
! much as you. want to talk little
5 about walking, but have stayed too long
already for the first visit, so must leave
the rest till another time. Ladies who
'. would like the books mentioned can
T. get them of me, as | have the agency
direct from the Sanitary Publishing
Company, l59 La Sale street, Chicago
Circulars describing them will be sent
on application, Ladies who have
bought the books say they would not
take twice what they paid for them
and | know to my sorrow the gooc
" For Girls " would have done me coulC
l have had it years ago. That is why
l am so anxious to help others.
ELLA A. BLAIsDELL,
East Randolph, Vt.