The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-01-19
THE NURSERY.
Make ii Bright and Cheerful for the
Children.

sery certainly is an Important lactor
in the proper physical development
of a boy or a girl. In the late spring,
warm summer and early fall, all
children should live as much as posi-
BILE in the open air. II by good for
tune the home is in a village, or on a
farm. or in a city VIII ere householders
have lots of goodly size, the service OF
the nursery maid is reduced to the
minimum in the season for out OF door
life. and the mother need only con-
slider, in the furnishing of the play
room. the necessities which come
with Indictment weather. As early as
possible teach the children to live out
of doors.
When too tiny to do anything but
sleep in the sun, as do the insects and
animals of all ages, have the nurse sit
out of doors in an easy chair, and
cuddling the little one in her arms,
let him breathe in natures tonic of
fresh. sun warmed air: OF bring out
the baby carriage and let the maps be
taken where, secure from draught.
the baby lungs may take in pure air
to vitalize the blood and give to the
organism what is needed for growth.
When the child is awake let him sit
in nurses lap, and with a stick dig up
the soil, and even oil warm, sunshfny
DAYS, when a shower has softened
the ground, let the child make mud
pies, for so he gets near to our dear
mother earth. He measures his latent
faculty of creation, and If there be
more than one child in the family a
spirit of emulation will be aroused,
and the first strivings to be more than
ordinary will be born in the littlesoul.
The child whose face, hands, feet,
nails are always immaculate is the
unfortunate child who has been
allowed to come in contact with his
mother earth, and such q child Is very
rarely we'll and strong. Play clothes
should not be fine clothes, and of
the very first lessons to be taught a
boy or girl is a due regard for the fit
ness of things, even in the small mat
ter of suitable dfess for different occa-
sions. While a stick will answer for a
little baby to prod the earth, children
who are always Impatient for some
hard work should be supplied with
little rakes and hoes and spades, and
however small the garden plot let the
child have a piece OF 1t for himself.
In cas- of necessity mammals cham
Der and the day nursery must be one;
but for the sake OF both the children
should, il possible, have their own
room. The reason is evident. What
would delight the hearts of a bevy of
children in the furnishings and APP
pointments of a play room would
offend the taste of a refined woman If
she had always TO live in it. Nine
children out of ten would rather have
the picture of a COW, or a horse, or a
dog in the place of honor than one of
Whistler's finest etchings or even Mil
let's 'sAngelus."
And, on the other hand, the bric-a-
brac and draperies which SO tastefully
adorn a lady's chamber would be con-
sidered veritable nuisances in the
children's domain. Put that vase
down. Don't touch the books
Keep your feet off the sofa, y stop
making pictures on the window
pane,f are commands which should
never be issued to children in their
own domain, but which are certainly
necessary when mammals comfort is
in danger or the safety of her room
furnishings imperiled.
In choosing the day nursery, or play
room, the mother should consider the
fact that children, like plants, need q
great deal of sunshine and fresh air.
They also need room to develop in;
hence, if | could have my way, the
largest and best lighted upstairs room
should be set apart for the children.
/ would have no draperies of any kind
about the windows. To shut out any
excess of sunshine Venetian blinds are
the very best, because, made of wood,
they can be wiped over often and so
kept clean.
The walls, if the limits of the purse
allow, should be painted, because
paint can readily be cleaned, and in
the long rum" even though the cost
be greater than paper, such a treat
ment of the walls is more economical.
A quiet tone of gray. or dull yellow,
makes a good shade for the eyes, and
is also a good background for pictures,
many of which should be hung about
the room. These should not be fire.
quently changed, as children seldom
grow tired of seeing the same thing.
The theme of the pictures should be
adapted TO the age of the occupants
of the nursery.
Ia a thoroughly we'll built house,
with no cracks around the floors or
below the windows t admit undesir-
able draughts of air, the hard finished
floor may be used, but it should be
well covered to its utmost boundaries
in winter bya good carpet rug, which,
like the Venetian blind, is susceptible
of being thoroughly cleaned. The
furniture OF the room should be sim
pie, but dainty.
In this nursery | should have chill
dren spend the larger part OF the life
which IL not lived out of doors. The