Evening star., 1942-10-08

CIO6S ana NAs
tional Fuel Con-
serva ton will
Henry MsLsmsrs. take care of him.
1t will be Just as unpatriotic to
raise window this winter when 1t
doesn't have to be raised as 1t will
be to drive so miles an hour In your
car or to hoard rationed food.
News Of the passing OF the fresh
air fiend came to me in q letter
from the Once Of the Bituminous
Coal Consumers Council In WASH
ington, Of which Luther Harr, one
time Penn football player, is head.
Mr.. Harris letter, which was literally
sprinkled with quotes from Fuel
Conservation literature, really
sounds the knell for those ladies
and gentlemen who have never
been content to let the outdoors
stay outdoors where 1t belongs.
We've all been tortured or bored
or both by q fresh-air fiend. He
will never believe that air was
intended to stay out In the yard
or in the trees or anywhere but
cooped up In house. No matter
how cold it Is outside, he wants tho
windows raised 40 the frigid air
can come bounding into the living
room and freeze the ankles and
shins and whatnot of those normal
souls who don't like freezing tenn
peratures.
We had one at our house last
year. He visited for two weeks and
before he left he had the rest Of
us mixing automobile anti-freeze
with our coffee in an effort to keep
alive.
Mr.. Harris letter gave six WAYS
to keep a house warm with reduced
fuel consumption and at least 1ive
OF them were aimed directly at tho
fresh air fiend. He recommends.
for example, that bedroom windows
be opened at night only an inch or
two or. better still, be kept closed
altogether, as all but the most tight
~ built homes will admit enough
air for a complete change every
few hours.
He also advises that any one who
insists on keeping the windows open
at night close his bedroom door
tightly, place rug or blanket before
the door and turn of the heat, Why
not kill two birds with one stone
Zone being the, fresh-air fiend) by
wrapping him In a blanket and
placing him alongside the door. A
few nights of sleeping there with
the drafts frosting his nightshirt
buttons would either kill him or
cure him.
One Of Mr.. Harris suggestions on
how to keep warm in a house that
Is under IS degrees fascinates us.
Here 1t is. If you feel cold during
the day just join the kiddies in the
playroom. Children under 4 spend
much time on the floor where tenn.
peratures are several degrees lower
than at the shoulder height of a
sitting or standing adult.
That not only fascinates us but
puzzles us as well. What kind of 4
suggestion is q suggestion that ad.
vises you to keep warm by dropping
on your hands and knees to a place
that is colder? 1t seems to me Mr..
Harr should suggest getting as near
the ceiling as possible. Also what
Will 1t do to the dignity of tho
American adult to have to string
beads and arrange building blocks to
Keep warm? Also, think of the wear
and tear on trousers If every time a
man feels cold he has to drop to the
moor and run about the room on all
fours, pretending he is a bear or a
tiger or q lion.
And what about those families
where there are no children? Ara
they to build playrooms anyway tust
IN case OF an extremely cold snap?
Mr.. Harr also suggests that tho
Saturday-night bath be revived with
Americans using hot water sparinelv
until that night when they can
really 60 to town with soap and
water.
1hat will suit us. We were a Sat.
urday-night bather for a long time
Well do we remember those Sat.
urday nights at grandma's when VA
were plopped in tub in the kitchen
and then given the works. Being
the youngest and with no seniority
rights. we always were about the last
to bathe. That meant very little hot
water-a saucepan or two and that's
about all.
But auntie, who was in charge Of
bathing the children. made up for
that by scrubbing you 10 hard that
you were never cold. Auntie's fetish
was ears. She scrubbed ours back
IN those days that are gone forever
so That until this day they shine like
mirrors.
Distributed b. kcNausht SYNDICATE, 1ne.)