Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-05-03
CLOTHING FOR INFANTS.
WHAT BABIES SHOULD WEAR IN
ORDER TO BE COMFORTABLE.

Fine Flannel Should lie Worn During the
First Few Months = Then Fine Knit
Wool should Constitute the Apparel.
Short Dresses on a Child.
''The fashions change in infants clothing"
said the woman in charge of the children's
department at the Lilliputian Bazaar, But
it is most important, of course, that their
clothing shall be Of a style to make them
happy and comfortable; style and comfort
should be united above all things in the case
Of infants
"Will you give me some ideas of how a
child should be dressed until it is at least a
year oldg' was asked
Begin with the first thing needed-that is,
fine flannel band, which should, in three or
four MONTHS be replaced by one knit of
Saxony wool These batsds are knit like the
top of an enormous stocking, They should be
large enough to slip over the child, bat should,
when unstretched, cling closely to the body,
and then they will give what little support is
needed to the abdomen These knitted bands
should be wovu both winter and summer, aud
are quite a preventive against the bowel
troubles so prevalent among young children.
Many mothers keep them on their children
until they are 3 or 4 years old.
"And it's a good sensible idea to put
wooden shirts on infants, and It's becoming so
common now that the poor little frozen baby
of few years ago is fast going out of fash
ion The home made knitted ones are al
ways pretty, but the machine made SaXony,
or cashmere, are nice for mothers who can't
get the time to knit. Then there is the fan
mel, which is also nowadays considered
necessity for the poorest BABY
'What kind of flannel should be used
must it always be Of the finest texturem
SIT need not be extremely fine necessarily,
but it must be soft and pleasant to the touch
in fact, only such as is made from the finer
quality of wool should come in contact with
the baby's sensitive skin, but it need not be
of the expensive sort.
"Do you know good way to wash hannels
and knit goods"
"They should be washed in warm water,
into which a tablespoonful of ammonia has
been thrown. If soap is used it should be
white and dissolved in the water. In case of
spots little soap and few drops of ammo
MIA may be rubbed on the fabric. 1t should
be remembered though that much rubbing
tends to harden the goods. Souse the gar
ments up and down in the water, squeezing
and rubbing them gently with the hands,
then when they are clean rinse them in clear
water of the same temperature as that in
which they are washed Be sure and rinse
out all the suds, then pass them through clean
water third time, this also to be of the same
degree of heat as the other two-if a blue
tone is desired add to this last water few
drops of bluing"
"For an infants first dresses ordinary little
slips of fine English nainsook are more suit
able These are very simply made, and are
only trimmed with fine edgings Six are suf-
fcient, of course More are sometimes con-
venient, but that viii do. After a few weeks
even the most sensible mother is anxious
about the baby's appearance So the little
slip which has thus far formed the child's
only outer garment is worn only at night or
i'll the early morning, and a little dress
takes its place. This is nowadays generally
made of fine English goods; at least that is
the fashion, though other materials are used.
The tiny little Jokes and sleeves are composed
of hair tucks and feather stitching, while the
whole is edged with the daintiest embroider
les. But mothers who are not able to afford
these more expensive dresses need not feel
badly, as. the very simple dresses are now
made 50 prettlly that an infant may be con-
sidered well dressed with but little outlay"
Here were shown two dresses representing
the two extremes of fashion, one being fine
nainsook with a small yoke Of tueks and
feather stitching finished with Valenciennes
lace; this was also at the neck, and the whole
skirt was nearly composed Of the same lace
The other, though but a simple cambria, was
charming. The skirt was perfectly plain, but
the waist had three box plaits, with lace at
the neck, while a cambria sash came from the
back and was tied in bow in front. These
dresses were both long, to be worn by the
baby until it was four or six months old,
when it puts on ''short dresses"
sit is we'll, continued madame, "that a
child should not put on its short dresses too
soon, though circumstances or the weather
must rule here. The exposures a child is sub
iected to and many other conditions must be
taken into consideration. New York News