The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-08-15
THE CHILD OUT OF DOORS.


All children should. If possible, go
TO the country in the summer. But
there are some children who may be
permitted to stay in town If it seems
too difficult to get them away, and others
who should never be allowed to stay
there in hot weather, no matter what the
circumstances
A child who is in robust health may
not be permanently injured by losing
the share of outdoors he must forfeit if
he stays in the city drought the heated
term. Still it is grave question as to
whether he does not lower his vitality
to an extent from which he never re-
covers If he passes the summer months
in the hades of bricks and mortar, which
our large towns become when the hot
weather is once fairly under way And
so the parent should strain point to let
the growing boy and girl have as much
of the air of green pastures and noun
tain or of sand and sea air as can pos
sibly be comprised.
When the circumstances are such that
the child cannot leave town until the
summer is well advanced, It should be
the study of the mother to achieve a
tolerably good imitation of country Gus
toms. The children should be en-
couraged to rise early, that they may
have the benefit of whatever freshness
is held by the new day. Their break
fast should be light and simple. Enough
has already been said i'll these columns
of the food children should have in hot
weather to furnish suggestions in plenty
as to what the child's breakfast should
be- When this has been discussed he
should be allowed to go out of doors and
take what play or exercise he desires.
Should it not be convenient to have the
regular family breakfast at an early
hour. do not oblige the children to wait
for it, Fortify him with bowl of
bread and milk or some similar sub
stitute, and give him his regular morn
fng meal later. Do not let him go out
to play with his stomach empty and the
temptation to fill it with unripe fruit or
anything else edible that presents itself.
During the hot middle of the day the
children Should be kept in the house If
they will take a nap, so much the bet-
ter. If they will not-and It is not al
ways easy to induce a child to do thing
that would be so beneficial as to make
up for his early rising by midday
siesta-encourag him to indulge in
sitting still plays. Keep certain games
for this time, and do not let the freshness
be worn off of them by permitting him
to have them at other times Let the
youngsters be as lightly clad as is con-
sistent with decency. 1t is sensible
thing to make them undress and get
into their night clothes for the time they
are to spend in resting. Then, when 1t
is cooler and they are ready to dress and
go out again to get the little freshness
that comes when the sun is down, they
may be quickly sponged off with cool
water. and their temperature thus low
cred even further.
A word about the children's hot-weath-
er bed hour. The early time for re-
firing that Is matter of course in winter
may be changed in summer. child
who has been kept in all doors by the
fervtd heat frequently gets more good
out of the time he spends out of doors in
| the freshness that he would derive from
| the same period spent in bed. 1t is
something akin to cruelty to animals to
| oblige q child to lie and swelter sleep
lessly In a hot bed, instead Of permitting
| him to remain out of doors a trifle later.
Few are the cities that do not have
| breathing spaces near them in the shape
| OF extended parks or seaside resorts
or picknicking places. The parents
whom necessity forces to keep their
children In town late should plan to give
then an occasional chance to get breath
! of country air Nothing is pleasanter
than one OF these little plcnics, If prop
erly managed. 1t is generally wise to
| have them family affairs, or else to take
along only such outsiders as can be re-
| lied upon not to prove an embargo upon
the freedom of the party. In a certain
| large New England city know family
| who make q feature of their Saturday
night picnics. There are never more
than two or three people present besides
| the family-which is a large one. There
Is a beautiful little sheet of water about
! five miles from the town. and a line Of
trolleys brings people within easy
walking distance of the lake. The
father. mother and two youngest chill
dren go out to the meeting place in a
| carriage, which also serves 10 convey
| the baskets of provisions. The rest of
| the party go on the trolley, and all meet
| at an appointed spot and hour. The
time OF gathering is generally about five
| thirty, and the supper is served soon
after six. The meal is not an elaborate
| affair, because the food must be such
! as children may eat Then, when the
| darkness begins to fall, the party gather
| together the impedimenta and take their
way homeward, braced and rested for
| another week.
ITO be continued
LEMON MARMALADE.
Slice six emors very thin, remove the
seeds, but carefully refrain from taking
| out the white pulp add to a pound of the