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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Api^il 



grown, take np the edge of the top and knit the 

 desired length, finishing the edge by knitting each 

 stitch with its next until all are gone, as in bind- 

 ing a heel — it must be done very loosely. 



Good stockings for children may be made by 

 cutting over those that are too much worn to be 

 of use to grown persons. Cut them according to 

 the directions for such work given in the chapter 

 upon women's apparel, — after fitting them to the 

 ankle and stitching on the wrong side. 



The color of children's stockings should in some 

 measure correspond with the color of their ckess. 

 Many persons may agree with aunt Hoskins, in 

 the story of Leslie Goldthwaitc, who believed in 

 "white stockin's, or go athout. Bilin' an' bleachin', 

 an' comin' out new, none o' your aggravations 

 'v everlastin' dirt-color." But for boys who fre- 

 quently go through all the mud and wet that they 

 can, so that their boots and shoes get saturated 

 and stain their stockings, drab is certainly more 

 desirable than white ; while even for the common 

 wear of girls, except with light-colored dresses, 

 most mothers will choose the more delicate shades 

 of drab and slate. "With the little ones they will 

 allow all the brightness and whiteness that they 

 have time and means to afford. 



As to shoes, the very word has an appalling 

 sound ; it is so diflacult to find anything in the 

 name of boot or shoe that is not constantly get- 

 ting trodden down at heel — screwed at one side- 

 burst at the edge of the sole — stubbed at the toe, — 

 or kicked, or scuff"cd, or knocked into pieces gen- 

 erally. If it is a bootee, gores iire torn or stretched 

 out, eyelets or buttonholes broken down, lacings 

 lost or knotted, buttons gone and the tongue 

 pulled out; the sole is scrubbed through to the 

 quick, and the upper leather gets rough and brown ; 

 and all this in an incredibly short space of time. 

 I believe some parents would willingly put up 

 with the noisy champing and clatter of the wooden 

 sabots worn by the French and Swiss peasants for 

 the sake of their durability. 



There did seem some prospect of a slight relief 

 from a portion of this trial by the introduction of 

 copper toes and iron heels. But after their nov- 

 elty was over, the youngsters began to think it 

 was too much like punishing them for misde- 

 meanors beforehand, and most of them now demur 

 at their use; — perhaps the silver-tips may have 

 a more permanent charm for them. 



No doubt boots and shoes would last much 

 longer if children were taught how to wear them ; 

 that is, the proper way of placing the foot when 

 standing imd when walking. Not one in twenty 

 supports the weight of the body by setting the 

 heel squarely and firmly. And so not only are 

 Ijoots and shoes trodden out of shape, but an awk- 

 ward gait is acquired, and the person's figure gets 

 a.=kew and awry. Then, too, the little matters of 

 lacings and buttons and straps should always be 

 kept in order, and straightly adjusted ; and lin- 

 ings and heel-stiffcnings tidy, and in their proper 



places; all of which need a mother's watchful 

 eye, and, many times, all the ingenuity and skill 

 of her tireless hands. 



The use of rubber boots for extremely wet 

 weather or for deep snows, at first thought, seems 

 neccf sary ; but young rogues — girls as much as 

 boys — do so love to go to the extent of daring 

 when protected by them, not unfreqnently acci- 

 dentally toppling over into danger, that 1 some- 

 times think they are better olT without them. 

 Nevertheless, they arc a good protection from 

 dampness ; yet their constant use is deleterious to 

 health, they are so completely air-tight as well as 

 water-proof. Rubber shoes over good leather boots 

 are on this account much to be preferred. 



All children when old enough to wear out-of- 

 door boots and shoes should keep such boots and 

 shoes expressly for that purpose, changing them 

 for slippers as soon as they enter the house. Di- 

 rections for making house shoes and slippers have 

 been given in previous chapters ; they should be 

 taught to embroider these in simple patterns with 

 worsteds or braid ; some children take great pleas- 

 ure in such work. 



Moccasins, or Polish boots, are very good to 

 wear over the walking shoes or bootees of girls, 

 in cold and snowy weather. Knit them of coarse 

 yarn, following the shape of a laced boot. The 

 sole should be of felt, to which the knit boot is 

 strongly stitched ; copy the form of this sole from 

 that of the leather boot, making it a size larger. 

 Then cut a pattern of the upper leather of the boot, 

 and begin to knit your yarn one by casting 

 stitches enough to go around the edge of the felt 

 sole. Knit i; in seams or rib=, and narrow it to the 

 right shape through the centre of the foot over the 

 instep. Be careful not to narrow it so much as to 

 get the ankle small. Knit them nearly to the knee ; 

 but for the last six inches take the stitches all on 

 one needle and knit it open, the whole width, 

 as a heel is knit; thus, like an unlaced boot, the 

 moccasin is more easily put on and off. When 

 within half an inch of closing off, which is done 

 as when stockings are lengthened — treated of 

 above — make a row of holes half an inch apart, 

 by knitting two stitches together and looping the 

 yarn over the needle at the same time. Through 

 these holes lace a stout woolen cord — twist it of 

 the yarn — to draw the boot up and to keep it in 

 place. 



Woolen buskins are very warm, and not so bur- 

 densome as these boots. Knit these also of coarse 

 yarn. Begin at the top and knit it ribbed, and as 

 if for the leg of a stocking. When the ankle is 

 finished, instead of setting the heel, in its place 

 close off one-third of the stitches, and knit the 

 rest baekwardand forward, in the style of a heel, 

 for an instip. Close off this instep when it reaches 

 to where the foot begins to taper. Cut rubber or 

 leather straps abr ut an inch wide, and stitch them 

 to the ankle to pass over the heel, and to the sides 

 of the instep, in the middle of its length, to go 

 around the foot. 



