The “Back to Nature99 Baby

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 816, 9 November 1929, Page 18

The “Back to Nature 99 Baby

AY mothers will hold up their hands in horror ftnEwllJCi when they read the gtiMpnT story of little Diana lyl'fWMlßtl Hughes-Hughes, aged four years, of Northwood, England, who wears no clothes and gnaws bones. Almost every rule that civilisation has decreed for the upbringing of children has been broken for Diana. She has no- regular meal hours and eats just when she wants to; she has not tasted milk for three years and (mothers will shudder) she never uses a tooth-brush. Yet Diana is one of the prettiest, healthiest, bonniest youngsters one could wish to meet and she has never had a serious illness.

The golden rule of Diana’s life is “Back to Nature” and she is living up to it as far as possible, running about with nothing on and eating only the simplest foods. So far she has never tasted cake, white bread and butter, a sandwich, a pudding, sauce, or ordinary sugar.

Mrs. Hughes-Hughes was telling me her theories about the rearing of children, writes a “Daily Mail” contributor, when there was a roar, the door swung open, and in came Diana on all fours.

“This is not the result of gnawing bones,” laughed her mother. “Dian: went to the Zoo the other day and saw the bears, w’hose antics she has been Imitating ever since.” All Diana was wearing was a tiny apron, and her body, tanned to a delicate bronze, was in striking contrast to her pearl white teeth and flaxen curly hair. All day she plays in the garden. Only when her little friends come to tea does she wear a little artificial silk tunic which lets through the ultraviolet rays. Her diet consists' mainly of brown bread, meat, eggs, fish, honey, a little cream, and unlimited fruit and water, and most important of all, starch foods in a dry condition only.

“My rule is very simple,” explained Mrs. Hughes. "It is forget all about civilisation and get back to nature.