MATTERS FEMININE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 516, 9 November 1912, Page 7

MATTERS FEMININE.

BITING THE LIPS. '-'lf girls only knew," remarket -a iwoman eminent an her profas* sion as a physician, "how they disfigure themselves by continually biting their lips, I think they would make the effort to break themselves off the habit. In infancy the red line at the lower edge of the lip is very clearly defined. Constant irritation with the upper teeth sometimes extends the red colour for half or three-quarters of an inch below the original line, and destroys the symmetry of the mouth. The lip becomes thickened, and sometimes inflamed; frequently there are deep creases or cracks, and the wind and sun burn and discolour it until it is almost ja deformity.'-' BABY'S SLEEPING FLANNEL. When the baby is old enough to toddle, it becomes nefcessary to drelss it at night time in a garment that will protect it from cold. The ideal nightshirt for young children is the one illustrated. This covers

the whole body,, feet included, and with one of these on, the child may kick the blankets off without ill effects. The pattern is easy to make up, and should be carried out in flannel of the best quality. Allow for shrinking, and see that the buttons are of pearl or bone. The collar may be edged with lace or embroidery.

WHY NOT A BEDrMAKING MACHINE?

The lady of the house drummed impatiently on the table with her fingers. "If they are really any good," she said, "why doesn't everybody have them?" "There you are again!" retorted the mere man. "Why didn't everybody use electric light until twenty years after it was available? Have you not read how shocked and incredulous London was when Lady Randolph Churchill first lit up her Mayfair house with electricity? Now, I was going to say , that if I were running this house I shouldn't have my beds made by servants when I could avail myself of the ingenious bed-making machine invented many years ago by a barrister named Simmonds." "What can a barrister know of bed-making? A bed-making machine, indeed!" "Nevertheless, my dear, it worked like a charm., You see, it was so. simple. You pressed a spring and one rod raised the counterpane ancf drew it out taut, another lifted the blankets, while two others at top and bottom drew off the top and bottom sheets and held them fast and erect to air. It was all done in a momeait, and when you wanted the bed made up, down came the slender frames and all was in its place again, silently and as neat as you please." A keen satri'cal look appeared in the lady's eye. Really! And how about the mattress? Was that not made up too? But I suppose your clever barrister never thought of lifting and shaking and smoothing a mattress—not to mention such things as pillows!'* "It was unnecessary. The mattress was pneumatic—as soft or as hard as you like. A small wheel at the foot of the bed was released by a touch, and inflation or deflation was done almost automatically." And the mere man gazed at his wife indulgiently.

SAXTING BABIES

A strange custom of salting newborn babies is still practised, we read, in certain, remote regions of Europe and Asia. The mother imagines that this l custom brings health and strength to her children, and serves to keep away evil spirits as well. Among t 7 he Armenians of Russia it is the custom to cover the entire skin of the infant with very fine salt. This is left on the baby for three hours or more, when it is washed off wi.th warm, water. The women of a naountain tribe of Asia Minor are even more peculiar, for they are alleged to keep their newborn babes covered wi.th salt for a period of 24 liours. The modern Greeks also sptrinkle theicr babies with salt; and even in certlain parts of Germany salt- is still used on a child at birth. '