86 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Match h. 
England, took us by tlie hand and told its about 
her visit to the famous Stafford House in Lon¬ 
don. She spoke, in particular, about a certain 
small parlor there, which struck her fancy amaz¬ 
ingly. Said she: “ There was not any particu¬ 
lar splendor of furniture, or dazzling of uphol¬ 
stery, but an artistic, poetic air, resulting from 
the arrangement of colors, and the disposition 
of works of vertu with which the room abound¬ 
ed. The great fault in many splendid rfloms is, 
that they are arranged without an eye,to unity 
of expression. The things in them may be all 
fine in their way, but there is no harmony of re¬ 
sult. People do not often consider that there 
may be a general sentiment expressed in the ar¬ 
rangement of a room, as well as in the composi¬ 
tion of a picture. It is this leading idea which 
corresponds to what painters call the ground 
tone, or harmonizing tint, ■ of a picture. The 
presence of this often renders a very simple room 
extremely fascinating, and the absence of it 
makes the most splendid combinations of furni¬ 
ture powerless to please. 
The walls were covered with green damask, 
laid on flat, and confined in its place by narrow 
gilt bands, which bordered it around the margin. 
The chairs, ottomans and sofas were of white 
wood work, varnished and gilded, covered with 
the same. 
The carpet was of a green ground, bedropped 
with a small yellow leaf; and in each window, 
a circular, standing basket contained a whole 
bank of primroses, growing as if in their native 
soil, their pale yellow blossoms and green leaves 
harmonizing admirably with the general tone of 
coloring. 
Through the fall of the lace curtains, I could 
see out into the beautiful grounds, whose clumps 
of blossoming white lilacs and violet grass seem¬ 
ed so in harmony with the green interior of the 
room, that one would think they had been ar¬ 
ranged as a continuation of the idea.” 
There! Our view through a mail’s eyes is 
confirmed by the testimony of a lady—it must 
be correct. Homo. 
■--<® S -—<s> g JJ-- >- o - 
Change of Clothing—A Caution. 
Don’t be in haste to put off woolen garments 
in Spring. Many a “ bad cold,” (whoever saw 
a good one,) rheumatism, lumbago, and other 
aches and pains, are lurking in the first sun¬ 
shiny days, ready to pounce upon the incautious 
victims who have laid aside* their defensive ar¬ 
mor of flannel. All sudden changes in the sys¬ 
tem are attended with more or less of danger, 
but the body can accommodate itself to almost 
any condition, provided it be assumed gradual¬ 
ly. The use of flannel guards against sudden 
change of temperature. In a warm day, when 
perspiration florvs freely, if it be allowed to pass 
off rapidly, the quick evaporation carries with 
it much heat from the body, and a chill may be 
produced, followed by derangement of some 
function ; as ‘ cold in the head,’ or unnatural 
discharge from the bowels. Flannel contains 
much air in its meshes, and is therefore a slow 
conductor of cold or heat. Evaporation proceeds 
from it more slowly than from cotton or linen, 
hence its excellence as a fabric for clothing. 
Many persons wear it next to the skin the year 
round, and find it a shield against prevalent 
complaints in Summer. No general rule can be 
given as to this; it must depend upon the con¬ 
stitution, and employment of the individual. In 
all cases, however, flannel should not be laid 
aside until the weather is settled permanently 
warm—in Ibis latitude usually after the first of 
June. The change should be made in the morn¬ 
ing, never in the after part of the da} r , when the 
energies are partly abated, and the air is usually 
growing cooler. Many a consumption has been 
contracted, by undressing for an evening party. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
Babydom. 
And so “Martha” thinks “if some capable 
mother would teach us how to take care of the 
babies, she would be a real benefactress .” (See 
Nov. Agriculturist , page 342.) Ignoring the capa¬ 
bility, this alone, 'surely, were incentive enough 
to rouse one’s dormant philanthropy. Too true 
it is, that half the little ones are tortured with 
slow miseries, through what should he their hap¬ 
piest, most blithesome period of existence, baby¬ 
hood !, and that too, by the tendcrest mothers— 
mothers who preside over their well ordered 
homes with much common sense and discre¬ 
tion, where order and regularity in the routine 
of duties reign supreme, from 1 basement to at¬ 
tic;’ who would think if they had a pet rabbit or 
pig, it must have uniformity, regularity and fresh 
air to keep it in health and fine growth; in short, 
who bestow all their system on every thing, but 
the very object that needs it most. Tell me how 
most babies are treated ; are they not smothered 
in blankets, kept in warm rooms, and a bit of 
cool fresh air avoided as if it were a pestilence ? 
Do they not worry and cry for this very want, 
and then doesn’t nurse come with it to help¬ 
less mamma and insist the little creature is hun¬ 
gry, though nursed but a short time before !— 
and so, hungry or not, its cries are stilled with 
food it does not need — and then bona fide pain 
comes, and diseases often follow in dire’proces- 
sion, and mother and nurse are well worn out be¬ 
fore many days with such a wearisome child! 
Oh goddess of Patience ! who would not worry 
under such treatment! Babies appreciate 
oxygen thoroughly, and there would not be so 
many “ terribles enfants ” were there more of it 
in sleeping and living apartments. 
Well, to be practical, and to the point, I must 
“give my experience,” must I ? which consists, at 
this present time, of as healthy specimens of 
boydom and girldom as ever made parents’ 
hearts brimful of thankfulness. I have pursued 
from their birth undeviating regularity in sleep, 
food, and out door life—nothing but downright 
rain preventing the latter. Mothers tell me, 
“ oh, it’s a very good way, if you can only carry 
it out, but — I can’t!” Well if children are not 
worth self denial, if they are not better than calls 
or company, or visiting, then they must go to 
the servants; but to those warm mother hearts 
which make light of all fatigue and care for the 
sake of the baby — who accept the sweet task 
committed to their hands by a Heavenly Father, 
how much better to have the key to sunny faces 
and joyous rippling laughter, than wry faces and 
shrieks “that make night hideous.” If a 
child is born-healthy, all it needs to thrive, is 
the carrying out of simple, natural laws. For 
the first few weeks, every two hours is often 
enough for nursing, after that once in three; it 
will then be regularly hungry and as regularly 
satisfied ; if it cries, you will know it is not hun¬ 
gry; and its stomach will never be loaded. 
Let it sleep in a crib by your side, never with 
you, then sleep is longer, sweeter and more re¬ 
freshing. Never wake a child — no, not to show 
it to the Queen of England ! Wrap it well all 
lint the face, and take it daily into the purest air 
you can find. Let its bath be not decidedly 
cold water, and before nursing; and then another 
nice nap will follow. As it grows older, a few 
months, keep it out of doors half the time, 
and in Summer its best naps will be under 
the broad roof of heaven; and in Winter don’t 
stop for cold, but wrapped up like a perfect 
mummy, out with the baby, and if you want to 
see the little one’s cheeks take on the rose, let 
it feel the splendid tonic in a sharp nor’wester, 
and it will smile at the snow flakes as they 
softly melt on its velvet cheeks, and grew daily 
so strong and fat and happy, that the little life 
will be one continual hymn of praise to God for 
its own existence. 
The observance of regular hours for the morn¬ 
ing and afternoon nap, and laying the child in 
its crib, wide awake when the time comes, is 
of tlie greatest importance. It all turns on com¬ 
mencing right , and then there’s no trouble. How 
infinitely better is it to lay a laughing, playful 
creature, with a good-niglit kiss, to sleep its long 
healthful sleep, than the common rocking and 
hushing so often repeated and often in vain—or 
the watching by the bedside, or the leaving of a 
light to go to sleep by. Never reward a child 
for crying by giving the article desired; wait till 
it stops. Teach it to amuse itself often, and not 
require some one to be constantly shaking a 
rattle, or tapping a window, but lay it on a bed 
or floor with a plaything; a slippej'is an unfail¬ 
ing amusement when all other objects fail; and 
sixteenthly and lastly, always endeavor to have 
a serene pleasant face when you nurse your 
child; for, chameleon like, it is taking hues with 
its soul that will color and shape it for life and 
eternity. IIatt. 
New-Havcn, Conn. 
A Highly Valuable and Important Book 
for Every Parent and Teacher. 
Though so pressed with business at this sea¬ 
son, as to preclude miscellaneous reading, yet at 
the earnest solicitation of a friend, we began the 
perusal of a new book entitled “Education, by 
Herbert Spencer,” which is devoted to the phys¬ 
ical, intellectual, and moral treatment and train¬ 
ing of children. The book is written in con¬ 
densed form, and requires considerable close 
thought and study to follow the writer. We 
have read it at odd hours for six weeks past, 
and have just finished the last page, and here is 
our opinion: 
This book is the most important one on the 
treatment of children ever written. We have 
derived from it hints and new suggestions in 
reference to the training of our own children, 
which have very materially changed our whole 
former theory and practice. We would not 
part with the knowledge we have gained from 
it for any pecuniary consideration. So strongly 
are we impressed with the importance of the 
reasoning of the work, that we unhesitatingly 
advise every parent, every teacher, every clergy¬ 
man, indeed every person who has any thing to 
do with the care or training of children, to at 
once procure a copy and read, or rather study it 
carefully from beginning to end. The first half, 
devoted, in part, to laying down principles, will 
require close study and patience perhaps, and 
will be found less entertaining to some persons; 
but the practical deductions and suggestions of 
the second half will abundantly repay the study 
required. Get the book, read it through, and if 
you do not then say that it is worth to you and 
your children more than the dollar it costs, you 
can thencefort h discredit our judgment. 
This is speaking strongly, but we mean it. 
