The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-06-25
FAMILY WHOLES0MENESS
This Should Be, and Il. the First
Thought Of Every True
Mother.
no Which lind the Regulation Of
Reading 10 An Important
Matter.

Ono Woman who Doss Not Read Suicide
o. Hoclsty Notas-Of Food and
Bathing.
Family wholeaomensss ID tho drst thought
Of q true mother. To secure this she must
herself be sound In mind and body. have
found II essential not only to regulate my
own diet, but my reading; and tho latter is
10 important ~ the former. There Ia a
large share Of current news that is not of
the least possible value to any human be-
ing. and much Of II ID directly and posi-
lively injurious. Among other sections OF
q newspaper, ! never let my eyes rest for q
moment on suicides. wish there wete .
law OF q public sentiment TO prevent their
publication. Anything that teachas
us despair OF weAkens orr fast hold
on lifs's duties II public pest.
Suicide ID an infectious disease,
and. though ! have not the least
tendency TO let 60 Of life voluntarily. will
not daily with pessimiam IN any shape. To
make my children strong-willcd i also must
be strong-willed. To secure them in the
sunshine Of content and love ! must refuse
to walk in the dark shadows. select this
one department Of reading, 20 II il one that
randers badly to mental disease. Equally
do i refuse to read society notes.-the in
sipid pabulum that enfeebles a wolnan's
mind for all heroism. II encourages insig-
nifcant s~elRshness and breeds into vigor
the small underground Of tho soul. to the
relative weakness OF Rrenter qualities.
Ty-.-L..E-.-- ~ A~~nS n ~ = Ssu~nsnk,, ~uonn-
am The coarser and brutal news of the day
also can not enter into my soul without disas-
trous results. l shall be made by u less
abls to develop in my boys and girls the
most lovable qualities. But yon do not Ret
at the bottom Of this matter until you per-
ceive the close relation between sweet souls
and sweet b~odies-whols souls and whole
bodies. In every way take care to have q
supply OF wholesome literature. and do not
yourself read one line you do not wish your
children to read.
A second matter on which / lay much
stress ia food. II asked what ! would place
OF highest Importance In family diet I
would answer without hesitation abund-
ance OF fruit. The apple il fnr moro in
valuable than we ave yet estimated. II
should be eaten before meals, inc not
after. Not a member Of my family, myself
included, but eats one, two or more before
breakfast 90 long a. they are '~obtainable,
and az many before dinner-about
half an hour before tho meal. As soon as
the fruit 10 begun We stop all study or work,
ing. or conversation. After meals We rest
in the same manner for hour. No
child is allowed to study during this time.
Nothing is lost. for the head 10 thus kept
out Of conflict with the stomach. Cereals,
next to fruit, are of prime importance. I
recommend highly such preparations as
parched f~arinose; any food where the cook
ing ID done before the grinding. Gotta and
granulss are Of this sort. As for meat, it
must be At each ones option, to be sure;
but let US be sparinR in our carniverous
tastes.
The third essential to family health ia
bathing. I am not quite as amphibious "a
some.of my friends, for there is no Ques-
ton but weak children can be soaked into
invalidism. Warm baths are always dan
weak. But q stout, solid chap needs a good
soak once a week. Gold bathing is equally
dangerous except to vigorous constitutions.
It 10 peculiarly important to battle in COM
Portable rooms. The passion for shocking
the system by rough usage y passing away
ness by abuse. Pounding the chest and
wearing thin clothes and bathing in Joe
water were popular follies Of . kind. Let
the room BE- comfortable and the
water temperature be moderate, then rely
on abundans friction But dry bathing 10
equally important. l have found nothing
better than the coarse-wove mittens OF tho
DR.. Jaeger make. Each member OF my
family is supplied with a pair to use for 9
dry, hard rub all over just before jumping
Persons troubled with insomnia should
adopt this plan, and by all means avoid a
wet bath. In the night, If not sleeping
soundly, rise and take another dry bath.
The delicious feeling we'll rspays for tho
exercise, apart from the wholesome conse-
quences. Then l add. "a Indispensable. q
sun bath. Most people who are not out
door workers do not got enough sun
shine. l have q window 90 arranged as to
get the mornings glow, and there. inclosed
by curtains, I sit clothed in little but sun
shine 1t Is an attachment easily accorded
sun moderately applied to the skin soothes
nervous pain and irritability az nothing
else will. If you are troubled with head
aches. get in the sun oftensr. frequently
write with the full sunshine all over me.
Will it not injurs the brain3 Oh, we'll! if
and let the beams fall on your back or on
your feet. Curtains to darken rooms are
intoletable. If your carpets are too good
to be seen by the sun. sell them. Certainly
90 uOt CuOOB0 , pTuHbol6 CuEp0b IA pref
erence to the orb of day. A widowed
soul, such a. results from ssmt-darknsss,
makes a detestable mother-a feeble, whin-
ing, passionate character, with no thought
for the noble and womanly. ! like tho
Thoughts that a sunny face and a sunny soul
have a kinship with the physical sun. At
any rate there is nothing in the living world
of high rank that will thrive in shade and
shadow-last of all the complex organism
that makes up . human being. Battle them
in plenty of sunshine as we'll az in plenty
OF water, and don't forget the dry rub
morning and night. It will add years to
your life and. vigor.
The fourth essential as l conceive to a
wholesome life is-familv play. II 10 de-
testable to organize n family solely for
work. II you are a farmer and have no
croquet ground or lawn tennis or QUOT or
cricket ground, then prepare for them at
once. I AIN talking of family play, where
father and mother Engage with the young
ones IN jolly hours of relaxation. You "can
not afford the timer That is nonsense:
work will 30 twice as fast with play as with.
out 1t. There should be also abundsnce OF
winter games. Reading TO each other aud
discussion ia OF great value. a. it brings
mental growth in common. Family fesi-
ing and intellectual development il likely