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(bror.
For Woman’s Work.
A LITTLE CHILD.
BY MRS. S. C. HAZLETT.
Only a tiny hand clasp,
Only an accent mild; ,
Only a pattering footstep,
But that of a little child.
Only blue eyes uplifted,
Only a pleading filed;
Only a heart in yearning,
And that of a little child.
Only a trust in keeping,
Only to be beguiled;
Only glistening tear-drops,
The blood of a little child.
Only a heart grown callous,
Only a soul defiled;
Only a saddened memory—
A neglected little child.
For Woman’s Work.
DUTY OF MOTHERS.
BY A. LIVEZEY, A. M., M. »., YARDLAY, PA.
The causes which, after birth, act directly
upon the system of the child, and which
gradually undermine its health, are largely
to be attributed to ignorance and misman
agement, in the first place by the monthly
nurse, and secondly, by the mother who
subsequently assumes the charge.
We do not dispute the fact that the or
dinary contageous and some other una
voidable diseases to which infantile life is
liable, are productive of a certain amount
of mortality, but this is but a small propor
tion to that produced by the causes just
mentioned.
Experience in the past and observation
of the present time afford the most unde
niable proof that but few families (the
wealthier class by no means excepted,) act
on the principles and laws of health either
towards themselves or children. In a few
families the services of a physician are sel
dom required, whilst in others he is scarcely
absent a week; and yet observation for
many years does not prove that the chil
dren of the two families have not equally
healthy constitutions, Lnt Jhe real secret of
the diffttie
of
each. How often delicate
and sickly children become healthy and
vigorous under judicious care, whilst others,
born strong and healthy, have withered,
pined and died simply from bad manage
ment. These instances prove conclusively
to the observant mind that health is not a
matter of chance, but the natural reward,
result and offspring of intelligent prudence
and persevering care.
The irritation produced by sympathy in
teething, and the various diseases resulting
therefrom, should be fully understood by
the mother, so that by the adoption of a
proper mode of management in accordance
with this condition, their dangers may be
diminished.
Teething and errors in diet are undoubt
edly the principle sources of derangement
of the digestive organs and bowels in the
young, and these bowel affections with
their sympathetic connections form a large
proportion of the diseases which destroy
life in early infancy.
Mistaken kindness of a relative, or the
imprudent love of a parent, often sacrifices
a child by an unwise indulgence. How
often, for instance, have we seen attacks of
convulsions, or of diarrhoea, which endan
gered the child’s life, result from the giving
of an improper article of food or fruit as
cheese, nuts, etc. The writer has traveled
thousands and tens of thousands of miles
in railroad cars, and how often has he been
pained to see young mothers with one or
more very young children buy peanuts of
the newsboy, and breaking the shells feed
the indigestible nuts to them. Indigestion,
colic and convulsions often result. And
these errors in a minor degree are con
stantly committed by parents, and though
the resulting mischief may not be mani
fested so quickly, yet a sure and permanent
injury is being inflicted.
We can only briefly consider one other
point in the bad management of infants in
this connection, namely, the want of venti
lation in the apartments occupied by chil
dren, which is such a fruitful source of
evil. And it is only necessary for mothers
to reflect one moment to be convinced of
this, to avoid the error in future, as it is a
matter almost entirely under their control,
as are most of the conditions on which the
health of offspring depends.
A little reading, a little self-instruction,
or counseling with her mother, or an ex
perienced nurse, would enable the young
married woman to discharge her duties
faithfully to her new-born, which might
otherwise be sacrificed upon the altar of
inexperience.
. A mother, by early fitting herself for all
that the title of mother implies, may
greatly diminish that large amount of sick
ness and death due to ignorance and mis
management.
Os course we do not mean to insinuate
that illness can be banished from the nur
sery ; for hereditary diseases will produce
it and infection will give rise to it, not
withstanding the best directed efforts on
the part of the mother. But she can so
live—by taking up the daily cross in a
measure—that her offspring will generally
inherit a healthy body, and she can so real 1
them that health will be the rule, and if
disease should attack them, their restora
tion is more readily assured and accom
plished.
JJrigljl
For this department we desire bright,
wise, and witty remarks of the little ones
under six years of age, and ask all sub
scribers to send what they can, that their
babies may get full credit for their “say
ings.” A record will be kept of all the
original contributions. At the close of
1888 a competent committee will be chosen
to select the “smartest speech,,’ and the
little one who made it, will be presented
with a handsomely engraved gold medal.
Such a medal will be highly prized through
life by the fortunate one, and we hope on
this account, and for the amusement of our
readers, that each will be given a chance.
No. 36.—One day while three-year-old
Jessie was walking up town with me, we
were overtaken by one of our leading citi
zens, who, as he came along side of Jessie,
slackened his gait and said, “ How are you,
Jessie?” Assuming a self-important atti
tude the little fellow replied, “You get off
this side-walk Mr. , I have a little baby
brother at my house.”
No. 37.—Little Claud was recently told
that a bird then singing in the yard was a
cat-bird. On hearing a mocking bird a few
days afterward, she exclaimed, “Oh,
mamma, don’t that kitty-bird sing pretty.”
No. 38.—Little Kennith was born among,
the red hills of North Georgia, but when
about two and a half years old his residence
with that of his parents, was changed to the
low, sandy portions of South Georgia. Soon
after this his mother was teaching him a
lesson in a primary catechism ; looking up
suddenly into her face, he said, “If God
made me of dust then he made these boys
down here of sand!”
No. 39.—“0h no! you do not remem
ber that, little one. That happened long
ago before you were born,” referring
to some event of years ago. “ Well,” said
the little four-year-old, looking wise, “ I
guess God had the dust up in Heaven to
make me out of.”
No. 40.—We do not use candles, and on
seeing one at a neighbors, little Jackson
exclaimed: “Look at de butter ’tending
up.”
No. 41.—Our baby boy hearing hens
cackling, said : “Open door, mamma, hens
barking.”
No. 42.—Our four-year-old wanted to
get out of bed. “Wait until I can dress
you,” I said. “Papa can dess me.” “No,
your papa is busy.” “ Well, he can un
busy,” was the reply.
No. 43.—0 n hearing me say that money
was made in Washington, our little boy,
four years of age, said : “ Mamma, less go
there and have some made.”
No. 44.—1 bought a child’s bible for my
little girl, aged five, who has just learned
to read. After sometime, she said: “It
tells ’bout Dod and Jesus, but don’t tell
’bout Mrs. Dod and Mrs. Jesus, and their
little girls and boys.”
JOHN W. CAUGHEY, PITTSBURG, PA.
NOTES.
The Guinea ben never lays a golden egg.
Rice is recommended for young chickens.
Vegetables of all kinds are relished by
fowls of all ages.
The best medicine in the world for poul
try is dry, clean quarters and lots of sun
shine.
Feed all the milk you can spare, either
sweet or sour. It is a model food, and
there is nothing like it for young chicks.
Old hens generally make the best setters,
they are not so fickle as pullets, and they
attend to their natural duties better. Nine
eggs are enough under ordinary sized hens
in cold weather.
For canker, paint twice daily with per
chloride of iron the inside of the mouth,
and touch the sores outside with lunar
caustic. Give twice each week as much
Epsom salts as will lie on a quarter of a
dollar.
For ducklings, mix corn meal and bran
equal parts and make into mush and feed
this in milk. If milk is not to be had put
some ground meat or crackers in the mush.
Clear raw corn meal mixed with water is
not a fit feed for ducklings. Until past
the downy stage they should have no water
to swim in. Give them all they want to
drink. Put gravel and sand in the bottom
of the water vessel.
In selecting a breed of fowls, it is better
for an amateur to depend on some reliable
and well-known variety. The Wyandottes
are a long established breed, justly esteemed
for their many desirable qualities, while
the White Wyandottes are only a “ sport ”
from the former, and although they origi
nated several years ago, and are now added
to the regular list of fowls, they do not
possess any special excellence not claimed
also by a standard breed. It is better for
a beginner to be on the safe side.
A very successful poultry raiser feeds
the following to his chicks until they are
two weeks old. He mixes four pounds of
corn meal with half the quantity of mid
dlings, two pounds ot finely chopped meat
and a quarter of a pound of bone meal, one
tablespoonful of pepper, an ounce of baking
soda. This he mixes with milk and bakes
like bread,crumbling and feeding every two
hours. After they are two weeks old it
will be sufficient to scald this mess without
baking and they will also then require
occasional feeds of cracked corn, and chop
ped green food.
Probably the best breed of French fowls
are the Houdans and Crevecoeurs. The
latter are very handsome and stately and
bear confinement well The plumage of
the hens is perfectly black, and that of the
cocks somber colored. They are not winter
layers, but do well in climates where there’
is little or no winter. They are highly
esteemed for the table, their flesh being of
delicious flavor. They are very tame, and
fatten quickly. The Houdans are also an
excellent table fowl, and bear confinement
well. They are all the year layers and
show no inclination to set, as a general
thing.
The South, as a market tor fancy and
high-class poultry, is attracting at present a
great share of attention, perhaps more than
any other section. The many disadvant
ages that have arisen during the last quar
ter of a century, especially the careless,
unprogressive disposition of the vast num
ber of negroes that largely compose the
farm laborers, and many white citizens no
less thriftless and unenterprising, has made
the South as a whole drag behind in the
advancement of poultry culture, as in
almost every other department, of rural
industry. But the South is now awakening
with vigor and enterprise to the value of
her resources in every particular, and this
general advancement is bringing and has
brought uncalculable numbers of the finest
fowls into her borders, but the territory is
large and the demand daily increasing.
One may have the best known breeds of
poultry, and yet fail to make them re
munerative if he manages them badly. To
raise fowls and make them profitable, use
time and care. “ What is worth doing at
all is worth doing well.” The one who
neglects taking care of his fowls when
they need food, drink and suitable shelter
will never gain much by their keeping.
To secure a good return from - poultry,
they must be kept clean, well fed and com
fortably housed. Fowls cannot thrive on
an occasional mess of food or on stagnant
water no more than can a human being
thrive on it. On the no-care principle, no
profits. There is little use for the inex
perienced person to flatter himself because
he can manage a few fowls very well that
he can pursue the poultry business success
fully without giving time and close atten
tion to all the details connected with it.
A singular instance of making fowls do
a thing which they are opposed to, occurs
in our provision of roosts which we design
for their greatest degree of comfort. The
regulation roosts are broad on top, from two
to four inches, to afford a good surface for
the repose of the weary occupant. It is
unnecessary to say that theory is largely
at the bottom of this arrangement. Facts
and a study of nature reveals an inbred
desire for something entirely different—no
less than roosts which are small enough to
be grasped by the toes and feet of the
fowls—and such they will have if they can
get them. We find here a reason why
they persist in leaving the comfortable
roosts which are provided and take to the
edges of the nest boxes or other angular
projections which may be handy when
wooing “ tired natures sweet restorer.”
While upholding the natural desire of the
fowls themselves we do not for one moment
lose sight of the reason why broad roosts
may be used—that of preserving the breast
bones from deformity.
A FEW SUGGESTIONS TO BEGIN
NERS.
After a careful consideration, decide
what breed you will keep. One breed is
enough for a beginner the first season, and
it may take four or five years of careful
study to fully understand that one.
If you can afford it, buy a trio or a breed
ing pen of first-class fowls, if not, buy eggs.
The advantage of buying fowls is, you get
your eggs fresh from stock you know to be
good, and from them you will probably
hatch a larger per centage of chicks than
from eggs that have been transported by
rail. You have a pattern constantly before
you, and you will soon learn how a good
fowl of that breed looks. If you start with
eggs, it may be two or three years before
you know just how first-class fowls should
look. The only way to learn is to see some
that are fine and study their good points.
After you have raised chicks from your
fowls, they may be sold for nearly or quite
as much as they cost you. Whether you
buy fowls or eggs, get them of a reliable
breeder. Pay a good price and you will
get good stock. It is not the cheap stock
that is cheapest in the end. It will make
a number of dollars difference to you
whether you raise a brood of chickens from
good eggs, and half of them are first-class
birds and of a strain that has a good repu
tation, or whether you raise a brood with
not one really good bird among them.
In buying eggs, it is a good plan to buy
two or more settings at a time—they can
be bought cheaper; the express is little
more than on one setting. If all are set at
the time they can be given to a less num
ber of hens than it took to hatch them, and
in this way some of the hens can be kept
to service their second term, and best of all
if you are successful in the fall, you will
have a nice little flock, all of the same
strain and age.
If a thing is not right, don’t do it; if it
is not true, don’t say it.