FARMERS' MONTHLY OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY 



HOME MAKING 



"THE TIRED CHILD" 



The tired business man has his tiredness 

 relieved by the theatrical displays plan- 

 ned especially for him. The tired me- 

 chanic indulges in outdoor and indoor 

 sports and vacations to relieve the mono- 

 tony of his existence. Few people realize, 

 however, that the school child is .some- 

 times g-reatly fatigued by the activities 

 that constitute his daily routine and that, 

 as a result of too much effort while in a 

 state, he may develop mental disturbances 

 that may mar his future. 



Dr. Mav Sehani, in the Boston Medical 

 and Surgical Journal, considers chronic 

 fatigue a mixture of actual tiredness of 



CHOOSING CURTAINS FOR 



"BETTER HOMES" 



Before buying curtain material get 

 samples of the kinds that seem most suit- 

 able and see how they go with walls, 

 j woodwork, floor, and furniture by both 

 Choosing curtains for the house brings <^ay and artificial light. Strong light 

 to mind fabrics of charming color and ' shining through curtain fabrics often 

 texture hanging in graceful folds. But I brings out striking efl'ects not suspected 



matei-ial can sometimes be found among 

 the dress goods. 



Fabrics and colors that will clean well 

 and withstand light are the best bargain 

 in the end. Examine also the defects in 

 the weave that may show up when the 

 curtains are hung. 



With figured wall paper, choose plain- 

 colored curtain material. If the walls 



it is not always easy to get the effect the ! until put to this test. Excellent curtain 

 mind first pictured, and cost must be con- 

 sidered. To curtain the windows of even 

 a five-room house about 60 yards of ma- 

 terial is needed, and curtains generally 

 have to be renewed every few years. 



As a help to the women who have the 

 problem of furnishing a home, the Bureau 

 of Home Economics of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture makes sug- 

 the tissues, of a decrease in the person's ' gustions about curtain fabrics and ways I and most of the furnishings are plain the 

 average mental achievement, of an actual of hanging them. Curtains are an ex- curtains may be figured, but preferably 

 decrease in his average physical strengthi(i;ej£nt means of furj^ishing up an oldijwith the background the same color or 

 and endurance, and, perhaps, of some /house or are needed as the finishing touch 'slightly deeper than the walls. With 

 emotional unbalance. The child that en- to a new one. cream walls, for instance, a cretonne with 



In planning curtains remember that soft tan background and figures that re- 

 windows are put in houses in order to ad- peat the colors elsewhere in the room 

 mit light and air. Make your curtains as, might be suitable for living and dining 

 simple as efl'ectiveness wil/permit. Elabo-'^'i'ooms. 



late curtains defeat the purpose of win-1 In selecting figured materials give pre- 

 dows and are out of place in the average [ ference to conventional designs that will 

 home. 



ters school at the age of six, he points 

 out, is taken out of his natural atmos- 

 phere of sun, fresh air and freedom and 

 overnight is subjected to a completely 

 artificial routine of life. No matter how 

 much we may consider school life as mere 

 play, it necessitates concentration, in- 

 volves mental strain and may therefore 

 create nervous tension. Furthermore, 

 the child is brought under necessity of 

 certain checks of inhibitions. These 

 naturally involve a change in his whole 

 attitude toward daily life. The child is 

 emotionally less stable than the adult, 

 and is likely to be more easily disturbed 

 by unusual conditions. 



A study of many children, both normal 

 and abnormal, that seem to suffer from 



the results of chronic fatigue, convinces , shutting out too much light 

 Dr. Sehani that the most common causes 



Look carefully at the shape and size of 

 the windows and how they are placed in 

 the walls. Picture the eft'ect of curtains 

 of various styles on those particular win- 

 dows and how they will appear from the 

 outside as well as the inside of the house. 

 If there are lovely views from the win- 

 dows, study how to keep them without 

 sacrificing privacy and an attractive in- 

 terior. An unattractive view may need 

 to be screened by curtains, but beware of 



stand the test of being looked at day after 

 day. 



Sprawling designs make the window 

 look shorter and broader, and stripestend 

 to increase the height and if used/excess 

 a stiff uncomfortable effect. 



Measure the windows with care before 

 buying the material, and measure and cut 

 the material, by a thread if posible, be- 

 fore making up the curtains. Accuracy 

 in cutting and neat sewing go a long way 

 toward insuring well-hanging curtains. 



are inadequate sleep, inadequate food, ex- 

 cessive social activities, excessive amounts 

 of outside work, such as carrying news- 

 papes, clerking and similar occupations 

 and excesive amounts of housework and 

 home study. Additional factors, such as 

 poor ventilation, bad lighting, carelessly 

 constructed furniture, speed tests in 

 school with insufficient rest periods, and 

 teachers that are themselves tired and 

 irritable, contribute greatly to the tired 

 feeling on the part of the child. 



Dr. Fritz B. Talbot of Harvard Univ- 

 ersity Medical School considered the care 

 of the tired child the most common pro- 

 blem that concerns the specialist in di- 

 seases of children. "Sleep," he said, "is 

 most important. The daily nap is omit- 

 ted far too early, and the child is permit- 

 ted to stay up for useless and unnecessary 

 reasons." And Dr. L. H. Hill agreed ' 

 with the views of Dr. Talbot, recommend- 

 ing that the child sleep after his luncheon, 

 if possible. The younger children, parti- 

 culary, should have a nap immediately [ 

 after noon and then spend some time in 

 the open air. 



Study the general style of your room. 

 Curtains can help to make a room home- 

 like and inviting or dignified and formal, 

 depending on the kind of material used 

 and how it is hung. 



Glass curtains made of thin material 

 and hung on a straight rod inside the cas- 

 ing close to the glass soften and change 

 the color of the light coming into the 

 room, lend an air of privacy, and are a 

 protection to side draperies. Glass cur- 

 tains should be just long enough to escape 

 the sill. 



Side draperies give a finished appear- 

 ance to the window, are useful as shades 

 if arranged to draw, and are a good 

 menas of adding color to the room and of 

 modify poor proportions. In small homes, 

 side draperies that end on a line with the 

 apron of the window are more suitable. 



' If a more formal effect is desired, let 

 them extend to the baseboard or an inch 

 above the floor. 



A valance used with or without draper- 



[ ies carries the eye accross the top, and 

 has the effect of decreasing the height of 



: room and window. 



PRINTED SILKS TO BE 



IN VOGUE THIS SUMMER 



Tailored Suits With Short Coats Are 

 Both Fashionable and Comfortable 



Many women who look well in tailored 

 suits are now buying them for general 

 wear. With the short coats in vogue, 

 they are very comfortable. 



Nearly all .skirts are pleated. A sep- 

 arate skirt in satin o\ wool and a blouse, 

 sweater, or the cardigan type of jacket 

 make an outfit suitable for everyday wear. 



Bows, flowers, fringe, jabots, sashes, 

 and other feminine adornments are seen 

 moi'e and more in exclusive shops. 



Fur scarfs are again smart. They are 

 becoming to nearly all women. 



The very best colors for spring dress- 

 es are jade, medium blue, wine color, and 

 browns, ((all in two or more shades). 

 Black and white dresses are strongly 

 featured. 



Although V and round necks are ex- 

 cellent on gowns, square necks are seen 

 on manv of the newest dres.ses, both 



V 



