The Irish standard., 1905-02-18
HINTS TO WOMEN
But More in Particular to the
Young Housekeeper.
Two Important Rules For Gen.
eral Guidance.


if on Candlemas day the ground hog
sees his shadow we are in for six weeks
more Of winter; and as the aforesaid
animal could have easily seen two
shadows on the beautiful Feast day,
think we are more than in for it, says
Jake Swiggers in the Omaha Voice.
This is the season of harvest for the
coal man: how they chuckle us they
read Old Father Probabilities, "ten
degrees below, sixteen; twenty, thirty
five, whew!"
Cold, Johnnie?' l queried of dia-
mond-eyed, rosycheeked, rubynosed
urchin. "Cold?"
Nav! amt cold, jest right"
Sallow faced specimen of humanity
passes.
How is the weather, Mr.. Feeble?"
Awful" he chatters. I'm cold
enough to die" And yet, it was just
right for Johnnie.
A young girl totters across the
street, bent over by the weight of her
scoop bonnet and famed by the tight
ness of her high-heeled shoes. "Cold,
Miss Grey?" 1 politely asked.
II am perished," she walls. One
look at her blue-moldy cheek and
dark-ringed eyes. verifies her state
ment. Johnnie, the unsympathetic,
grins-"Say, kick off your skin-tight
gloves and shoes-and you won't mind
the cold," suggests the young philo-
sopher; but the maiden passes on, un-
convinced.
There is some excuse for Mr.. Fee
ble's sufferings, he is cold, sickly and
his blood flows sluggishly-b Miss
Grey suffers for fashionable prejudice;
she would prefer having a complexion
like that of an Egyptian mummy; an
aching body, frozen toes and nose,
rather than submit to broad-soled
shoes and loose gloves. We have
adopted many an English custom, sen.
sible and otherwise, even to "Don'tyer
Know" and "Beastly Weather,"-but
we have not initiated the common
sense of the English women who are
lovers Of long walks and consequently
wearers of big shoes. In this city, on
muddy day an English woman is
not Il pretty sight; as she usually
picks up her skirts with hitch in
the back, and holds them aloft, re-
gardless of the amount of shoe leather
exposed-but one thing in her favor,
she doesn't carry microbes home on
her clothes; and on the country roads
her free. swinging gait, suggestive of
health and enjoyment, might make an
American beauty sick with envy.
When will women learn the value of
health? When it is gone; then all eff
forts are put forth; doctors consulted !;
cosmetics used; medicine poured down;
exercise taken: every resource tried
but too late" are the sad words of
doom. Now. if l lay down few prac-
teal hints for health, my readers will
probably laugh at them as fads; but
here goes! Like Hoods Singer, who
sang for the million, l write for the
million. trusting some little common
sensed woman will be benefited.
First Rule-Sleep summer and win
ter in Il room with il window open-A
howl! I know the typical American,
unless he is of the athletic stamp,
would as lieve commit suicide as to
open Il window when Jack is below
zero. But that is rule number one.
Second Rule-On arising, after
drinking three glasses of cold water
open window half way and inhale deep
breaths; expanding the abdomen when
inhaling and contracting when exhal-
ing; do this twenty or thirty times;
then. standing on toes with arms up
lifted above head, bend forward and
touch toes seven or eight times. After
these exercises. which take about ten
minutes, the head, chest, neck and
shoulders should be vigorously washed
with cold water, or if the physique be
strong enough an entire sponge bath
should be taken not occupying more
than four or five minutes-the dress
ing should be rapid, prayers said ear
nestly and the man or woman is ready
for good days work.
81 should die if 1 touched cold wa
ter" means a fragile young lady; per-
haps she might, or perhaps she is in
the condition of 40, the poor Indian
who objects to washing OH principle.
He is the great unwashed." However
care should he taken not to shock the
nervous system too quickly. and to
those to whom cold water means in
slant death. would recommend n
gradual toning of the system: first.
using hot water. then tepid. then cold
till the nerves react with strength
after cold sponging. Any one who
Ellis to feel warm glow after this
mnrning treatme must find out what
| the trouble is. The exercises may be
taken too slowly. and without enough
tension. the water may he too cold. the
washing too slow. or the system in too
poor Il condition to react Then an
other mode must he adopted. Wait till
Il couple of hours after breakfast. then
| take the treatment. Before retiring
tl,N teeth should no t.Hrnf,lllv attended,