REARING AND TRAINING OF CHILDREN. 199 



lunches. It is the constant nibbling and <( piecing " that 

 does harm. Never force a child to eat anything he has 

 a real dislike for. When plain food is declined because 

 of the more tempting dessert ahead, it is a different 

 affair ; but I have seen little children compelled to eat 

 things, when every mouthful would be swallowed with 

 tremendous effort and genuine disgust. Some of us have 

 an utter abhorrence of onions or tomatoes, or codfish, or 

 some article of food that ought to be relished. How would 

 we like to have some mighty giant put such food upon 

 our plates, and compel us to eat it amid wild nourishes 

 of his knotted club ? Would we sweetly feel that the 

 dear giant knew what was best for us, and proceed to 

 swallow every mouthful ? or would we say to ourselves 

 " We'll eat it, because we must, but we hate it all the 

 same, and we hate you, too !" Children have as much 

 right to their likes and dislikes as we have to ours. 



Thorough, all-over baths should be given to the little 

 people once a week, at least, and in summer oftener. 

 They should be given in comfortable rooms, out of 

 draughts, and the water should never be colder than new 

 milk. Rub the skin thoroughly dry with coarse soft 

 towels, and put on the night-dresses or clothing imme- 

 mediately. Often severe colds and fever attacks can be 

 broken up by giving the bath as warm as it can be borne, 

 putting the child comfortably to bed, laying a handker- 

 chief wrung from cold water on the forehead, or where- 

 ever the ache is, and giving him- all the cold water and 

 pounded ice that he wants. One mother writes that she 

 has never had any serious sickness in her family of five 

 children. At first complaints of headache, thirst, weari- 

 ness, and "toothache in the legs," as our little girl 

 called it, she undresses and gently bathes the child, puts on 

 a warm, comfortable wrapper, and lays him in bed, rub- 

 bing the " toothache " with her hands for a few minutes, 

 and perhaps staying to tell a pleasant story, or to sing a 



