24: 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, 
[January, 
and needs extra rubbing. An edge crocheted with 
Shetland wool at the neck and wrists, makes a 
pretty finish. Woollen suits for small boys may be 
made just like those for girls. The legs should al¬ 
ways slope by both outside and inside seams, from 
the calf of the leg down. Leave them open a few 
inches at the bottom of the inner seam, that they 
may lap smoothly under the stocking. 
Children’s Garters. 
Children’s stockings should not be fastened with 
elastic (or other) bands around the leg, as any band 
so applied interferes more or less with the circula¬ 
tion of the blood. Buttons should be sewed on 
the tops of the stockings, on the outer side of the 
leg, and elastic straps with button-holes at each 
end should fasten to these and to buttons on the 
under waists, under the arms. There are patent 
stocking-supporters much like this, only the strap 
forks above the knee and attaches to tlie stocking 
on the outside, and also on the inside of each 
stocking-leg. Home-made garters can be arranged 
the same way, but I find one fastening sufficient. 
Outer Drawers. 
Let us cling to that most sensible fashion of put¬ 
ting colored drawers upon our little girls in win¬ 
ter. White seems the proper color for under 
clothing, and it is that idea, I suppose, which has 
made white almost universal for children’s drawers. 
But all well-dressed children now are supposed to 
wear under flannels (or cotton flannels) in winter, 
so that the white cotton drawers are no longer ab¬ 
solutely under garments. They are even worn, in 
many cases, over red or grey flannel. Nothing in 
my wash-tub on Mondays needs harder rubbing 
than these same white drawers around the hems or 
trimming. Some strong, inconspicuous colored 
woollen or worsted goods is the most sensible ma¬ 
terial, gathered into a band and buttoned around 
the leg below the knee, never leaving any gap be¬ 
tween the drawers and woollen stockings. The 
dress skirt should be long enough to couceal these 
drawers when standing. They look well made of 
the same material as the dress, and are best lined. 
I do not pretend to say that these are the most 
sensible winter drawers that I can imagine for little 
girls. Warm trousers reaching to the tops of the 
boots, are most reasonable for little girls and little 
boys too, but children must not be made uncom¬ 
fortably odd. Leggins must be added for out-door 
use, and for extra cold days in-doors. Outer draw¬ 
ers and petticoat should button to a strong gingham 
or colored drilling waist worn over the undersuit. 
Advantages of “ Plain Living.” 
There are many good reasons for living on plain, 
simply-cooked but nourishing food. Variety is 
necessary—that is, a judicious mingling of dishes 
of grains, vegetables, fruits, and meats. There 
need be but few kinds at one meal if the family arc 
agreed in their tastes. The larger the family, as a 
general rule, the more need of variety at each meal 
that each one may follow natural instinct in selec¬ 
tion, as far as can be done with due reference to 
the lights of others. Plain living reduces not only 
our expenses, but our labor in the kitchen. Another 
important thing I have been taught by both reason 
and experience: plain living reduces our liability 
to diseases of all kinds. As I said recently, there 
has been but one case of absolute sickness (down 
sick in bed, undressed all day) in our little family of 
four children during the more than dozen years 
since the eldest was born. I think this is due to 
care in regard to the general rule of health, as no 
preventive or curative medicines—not even Catnip- 
tea or Camphor—have been used. Yesterday a 
daughter complained of a slight sore throat—a very 
unusual complaint here—and I felt some little un¬ 
easiness, as diphtheria is abroad in this part of the 
country (six children from one family buried late¬ 
ly iu a city not far away), and a few cases in our 
own place. But I felt condemned for the dinner of 
the day before—hot bread pancakes, upon which 
I knew that the little girl was eating quite too 
much butter in a melting condition, followed by 
pumpkin pie, which disgraced me because it was 
too sweet and spicy for health. She had the good 
sense (or the cultivated instinct) to go without 
supper last night, and a wet cloth on her throat 
during sleep, covered by a dry one, perfected a cure 
of all sore throat. I know a family whose mother 
always dreaded the coming of winter, because 
croup, diphtheria, sore throats, coughs, and other 
cold weather diseases so threatened her children, 
and worried or-seriously alarmed her; and then 
dreaded hot weather on account of children’s bowel 
diseases—until she learned to regulate their health 
by regulating their diet. A bountiful but plain bill 
of fare in exchange for the “ richer ” or more high- 
ly-seasoned food common among prosperous peo¬ 
ple, has changed all that. A healthier flock of 
children, and a more happy and hopeful mother is 
seldom found. She almost never makes cake now-a- 
days, and pies very seldom, and then very plain 
ones. Children who live habitually on plain fare, 
show evil effects from rich food much more quickly 
than those who live regularly on the latter, and 
some suppose this proves that their stomachs are 
weaker on account of plain living, but I think it is 
because they have a more correct or healthy tone, 
and it seems to me fortunate that the first deviation 
from health is so quickly reported, and thus there 
is little danger of serious disease. 
A Pleasing Lamp Shade. 
Not long ago we saw at a farm-house, where the 
mother had a happy tact of making much with sim¬ 
ple means, a lamp shade, which had a richness of 
effect that one would hardly suppose possible from 
the very common materials entering into its make 
up. The shade 
was made of six 
pieces of per¬ 
forated card¬ 
board, of the 
shape shown in 
the engraving. 
In this case the 
pieces were 6 
inches long, 5i 
inches wide be¬ 
low, and 3 inch¬ 
es above. Each 
of these was 
bound all 
around withnar- 
DECORATED LAMjP SHADE. l’O'SV cl3,rk~^TG0Il 
ribbon, and the pieces attached to one another by 
a few stitches above and below through the ribbon. 
This allowed—which is no small advantage—the 
whole to be folded, and occupy but small space 
when not in use. Each piece was ornamented by 
autumn leaves, bits of fern and moss; these were 
sewed to hold them firmly. In this case the leaves 
had been varnished, but if the lady will follow our 
suggestion to hereafter either oil the leaves, or dip 
them in paraffine, we think she will find it an im¬ 
provement. A screen of this kind, before the leaves 
fade, presents a rich variety of colors ; but this was 
the work of a former season, and though the 
autumnal tints had quite lost their brdliancy, the 
effect was still most pleasing, for the outlines were 
still perfect, and as these were well defined against 
the white ground of the card, their uniform neutral 
tint, while not so showy as the former bright 
colors, still made the shade decidedly ornamental. 
Village, Farm and Home Improvement.— 
Dangers. 
Just now there is a growing interest in village im¬ 
provement, and we are glad to notice that Associa¬ 
tions are being formed in various parts of the coun¬ 
try, for combined effort to have better roads with 
shade-trees, better bridges, neater front-yards, and 
other surroundings, and whatever may make the 
village pleasanter to those who already live there, 
and attractive to those who are seeking rural 
homes. That we are heartily in favor of such plans, 
the whole past of the American Agriculturist is a 
witness, and we arc entirely in sympathy with the 
recent agitation of the subject of which we Jhave 
already given some account, and expect to give 
more. We have just one fear with respect to these 
“Village Improvement Associations,’’ and that is, 
that they will not lay their foundations sufficiently 
deep. A lawn is a “ thing of beauty,” but to be a 
“joy forever,” the soil down beneath the green 
carpet, must be deep, fine, and rich, or the hot 
suns of midsummer will make of the green carpet 
a brown one. So with “ Village Improvements,” 
they should begin below the surface, and the first 
essentials of drainage and sewerage should not be 
lost sight of in providing trees for shade and adorn¬ 
ments. There is not the least reason why the two 
should not go hand in hand, were it not that some 
of those in charge of the improvements may look 
more to immediate effects than to permanent, bi$ 
hidden work. One of the strong arguments in 
favor of “ Village Improvement ”—and it is a le¬ 
gitimate one—is, that the value of the property 
will be greatly enhanced. That a place with good 
and tree-margined roads, and neatness manifest in 
the surroundiugs of its houses will prove more at¬ 
tractive to the seeker for a rural home, than one 
where these are quite disregarded, is evident. But 
the city dweller seeking a place iu the country at 
the present time, is not the same as the one of 20 
years ago, when prices were high and money 
plenty. The first question the citizen of to-day 
who would become a suburban, is sure to ask is : 
“Do you have chills and fever? Is the place 
healthy ? ’’—meaning of course, healthful — and 
similar inquiries which only can be favorably 
answered when drains, sewers, and other sanitary 
matters have been duly provided. It is -well known 
that some of the most delightful localities within 
easy reach of New York City, those possessing every 
natural attraction, are largely undesirable on ac¬ 
count of malaria. The very name mal-aria, mean¬ 
ing “ bad air,” indicates that it is avoidable by sub¬ 
stituting good air for bad, and it is well known that 
by removing the contaminations, chills and fever, 
congestive fever, “ dumb ague,” and all the mis¬ 
eries produced by malaria, disappear. But malaria 
is not the only trouble due to local causes. That 
most alarming of epidemics—justly alarming in its 
suddenness, and in mainly finding its victims 
among children, diphtheria, is now classed among 
preventable diseases and is regarded as one of Na¬ 
ture’s protests against the violation of the laws of 
health. We have not seen this matter set. forth 
more clearly and tersely than in the report of Doct. 
E. M. Snow, the most efficient Health Registrar of 
Providence, R. I. He finds it his “ duty to ask the 
attention of the people of Providence, and espec¬ 
ially of parents, to the following statements.” We 
also find it our “duty ” to call the attention of the 
people of the whole world—for there are few parts 
of it not reached by the American Agriculturist —to 
his words when he says : 
“ 1. No ease of diphtheria occurs without an 
adequate cause. This is self-evident.” 
“ 2. The cause of nearly all cases of the disease 
exists in the houses or premises, or within a few 
feet of the houses where these cases occur. ” 
“3. The cause of nearly all the cases that occur 
in this city, is breathing impure air from privy 
vaults or sink drains ; or drinking impure water.” 
“4. Much observation and long continued and 
careful investigation have perfectly satisfied me 
of the truth of these propositions, and they are ap¬ 
plicable to all cases, whether in the tenements of 
the poor or in the mansions of the rich.” 
These statements carry weight, for they are from 
one whose reputation as an authority in sauitary 
matters is world-wide. They, too, have an applica¬ 
tion beyond diphtheria—and stand with equal force 
for the slower but scarcely less fatal typhoid. 
Let us beautify, let us make our roads as level as 
floors, let us plant trees, let us do away with 
unsightly fences, let us adorn our front-yards 
with figures of flowers on carpets of lawn, 
let us hide the crude carpentery of our ve¬ 
randas with graceful climbers—but first, before 
all and above all — let us look to the “ privy- 
vault ” and “sink-drain,” as these stand for the 
wastes of our daily life which must be got rid of— 
and merely putting them beyond our sight is not 
getting rid of them. This removal of the wastes of 
the house is eminently a household matter, and is 
one that may properly occupy the attention of the 
