Domestic

New Zealand Tablet, 25 May 1911, Page 977

Domestic

BY MAUREEN

"Use for Towels. : A simple and useful combing jacket may be made from a good large towel. Divide it into four even parts; cut off the two of these nearest the ends and sew them at right angles to the central portion. Sew tape where the pieces join, to tie the jacket on. From three crash dish towels you can make a sewing apron, turning up the bottom and stitching it into pockets. Ribbon strings complete the apron. The Care of Nervous Children. Nervousness in a child may be either inherited, or brought about by, or it may be derived form, causes purely physical or mental, or of those allied. But, however occasioned, it is a malady of a peculiarly sad kind, and one which makes it beholden on those having charge of the children so afflicted to treat them with special care. One of the commonest forms is fear of darkness, which, as time progresses, becomes tantamount to mental torture. In some cases this may be inherited; but it far oftener comes from stupid people talking in the hearing of very young children, of newspaper and other reports of horrors, or from brainless nurses telling the wondering and fearful child tales of bogeys, and goblins, and witches. It is no wonder that the active brain of the nervous child exaggerates all this nonsense in the loneliness of the darkened room. Timidity in the presence of strangers is, perhaps, the least serious symptom of the nervous child. It is rarely more than a sign of supersensitiveness, and can soon be cured by care and kindness, and the gradual accustoming of the child to the presence of those other than its relatives and friends. Nerve Tonics. • .> Tll , e use of ner^ tonics and foods may have an appreciable benefit, for undoubtedly the brain becomes weakened by the continued process of exhaustion, but in a large percentage of cases, moral measures are of more utility than physical. When the primary seat of mischief is the brain, the evil is seldom due to chemical or structural defects. More frequently there obtains that which may be expressed in the words— action. The mental state of a child who is afraid of the darkness is a quite natural result of very wrong influence. It is to be a greater coward than the child to threaten it and leave it alone with conjured up horrors. Let it be nlaved with in the dark find told tales to make it laugh before it settles down to sleep, and let the dulling ears hear known and beloved footsteps in and near the room. Never at any time of the day, by any chance talk of any horrifying happening winch took place, in the hearing of a nervous child. Above all, make the hour before bedtime the oiliest of the day and if tales are to be told, let them be fairy tales with the happiest ending. Three Excellent Hints. • In ironing a blouse without a proper sleeve board, it is difficult for the amateur laundress to deal successfully with the upper part of the sleeve and the gathers therein. In an emergency the following plan, if adopted, will give' pleasing results: Put the iron stand on the table, and on it stand the hot iron, upright; then take the blouse in both hands and pass the inside of the top of the sleeve over the tip of the iron. This method will give the top of the sleeve the finished appearance so desired. The hem of lace collars, bands, and vests should be strengthened with a fold of net or lace laid at the back of the hems as a support to the hooks and eyes, or buttons and loons, used for fastenings, otherwise the strain on the lace will soon result in a tear. If a blouse is to be kept in position at the waist, run a drawing all round. To commence, measure the length of back from collar to waist-line, and from the under arm to waist-line: also arrange the amount of fulness required m front. Then run a draw tape round and tie at the back. By this simple method an ordinary loose blouse will fit to the waist perfectly.