FROM DAY TO DAY. 
They talk about a woman’s sphere 
As though it had a limit. 
There’s not a plaee in earth or Heaven, 
There’s not a task to mankind given, 
There’s not a blessing or a woe, 
There’s not a whisper “yes” or “no,” 
There’s not a life, a death, a birth, 
There’s not a feather’s weight of worth, 
Without a woman in it. 
* 
Fresh air and bright sunshine are 
death to disease germs, say the biolo¬ 
gists. Why not try the same treatment 
on the germs of ill-temper, gloom and 
fretfulness ? 
* 
One of baby’s Winter comforts is an 
outing bag, to take the place of a car¬ 
riage robe. It is simply a flat bag, like 
those sleeping-bags displayed among 
Klondike outfits, and may be made of 
eiderdown flannel with a quilted lining. 
When the baby is put into his bag, he is 
protected from the wind, no matter how 
much he may kick about, a great advan¬ 
tage over an ordinary blanket. Some 
handsome outing bags are made of white 
rabbit-skin, and little coats and caps of 
the same, suggestive of Baby Bunting, 
are among the attractions now offered. 
* 
We trust that none of our readers is in 
the least envious of those mothers who 
have remarkable children, says Trained 
Motherhood. At first thought, it might 
seem a great satisfaction to have a child 
who excelled all his schoolmates, and was 
the astonishment of all his teachers ; yet 
there is an entirely different side to the 
story. So much is being said in the 
public press at present about one or two 
of these remarkable children that we 
desire to utter an additional word of 
warning to that already given in discuss¬ 
ing precocious children. It is extremely 
rare for a child who exhibits wonderful 
abilities, altogether out of keeping with 
its age, to develop into a talented man or 
woman. Premature development means 
premature arrest of growth, while the 
dull boy or girl has often surprised a 
world with exhibitions of his genius, 
only apparent comparatively late in life. 
We would a thousand times prefer our 
child to be “ rather dull and stupid ” than 
exhibit these “remarkable, if not quite 
miraculous, feats of memory.” Keep in 
mind that the teachers of Sir Isaac New¬ 
ton insisted he was nothing more than 
“ a common fool.” 
* 
The first three months of the year are 
essentially the season for veils. No mat¬ 
ter what the doctor may say about the 
effect of these flimsy protectors upon our 
eyes, they are a necessity during Winter 
weather, if we would be neat. There 
are a good many rules regarding the 
wearing of veils, and most of them are 
expressed in negatives. Don’t wear a 
skimpy veil with a large hat. Don’t 
wear a white veil with a colored hat. 
Don’t wear a ragged veil under any cir¬ 
cumstances. Don’t draw it tightly across 
the face without regard to its folds. In 
buying a plain net veil, double-width 
Brussels net is the most durable one can 
use ; it costs (50 cents a j r ard, and is wide 
enough to split into two veils. Among 
dotted veils, the most fashionable just 
now has a diamond mesh with chenille 
dots quite close together, but this is not 
really so becoming as when the dots 
are farther apart. In buying an inex¬ 
pensive dotted veil, always select one as 
free from stiffness as possible. The stiff, 
cheap nets are heavily dressed in the 
dye, and there is always risk of the color 
rubbing off when wet. Fine sewing-silk 
veils are an aid to winter comfort, and 
they are an economy in saving more ex¬ 
pensive net. They really look better 
with one of the masculine walking hats 
than the net veils, which always seem 
inappropriate. If one wears both large 
and small hats, separate net veils should 
be kept for each, as they naturally fall 
into their usual creases, and thus look 
worn when placed upon a hat of a differ¬ 
ent shape. 
* 
A very convenient cold-weather muffler 
seen this Winter, and adopted by both 
men and women, is the mufflet. It is a 
rounded shield to put over the chest, 
curved out to fit the neck, with a plain 
high collar, fitting like a stock, long 
enough to be crossed in the back, and 
ends tucked under. The advantages of 
the mufflet are that it gives the protec¬ 
tion where most needed, without the 
bulk in the back, which is an incon¬ 
venience with any ordinary muffler. The 
mufflets are made in heavy silk or broad¬ 
cloth. with silk lining and woolen inter¬ 
lining. Garnet and dark blue are favorite 
colors for men’s wear. They look very 
comfortable worn under a woman’s coat 
with revere collar, and make a desirable 
homemade gift. 
THE WORKING DRESS. 
COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE FOR BUSY 
WOMEN. 
Many people have the idea that a 
woman cannot keep neat when engaged 
in her daily work. We think that she 
can, if she exercise care in providing 
clothes suitable for her occupations. 
The following questions were sent to 
some of The R. N.-Y. housekeepers, and 
their responses follow : 
What style of dress do you consider neatest, 
cleanest, and most convenient when engaged in 
regular daily housework ? Do you provide a 
regular working dress, or adapt gowns that are 
too shabby for other wear ? Do you wear 
woolen working dresses during the Winter ? Do 
you see any advantage in a wrapper, over a 
separate skirt and waist ? Do you make the 
sleeves in your working gowns so that they can 
be easily rolled up ? Do you keep oversleeves 
and bib-apron for use around the kitchen after 
changing the working dress ? 
Wash Dresses and Ample Aprons. 
I am a farmer’s daughter and a farmer’s 
wife. For myself, I provide simple wash 
dresses for every-day wear, made all in 
one-piece for convenience and neatness. I 
wear indigo blue calico or percale usually, 
made with a yoke-waist and straight 
skirt, both sewed to one belt ; plain 
shirt-sleeves of medium size, large 
enough at the cuffs to be easily rolled up 
whenever necessary. A neat collar edged 
with narrow lace finishes the dress. I 
do not believe in wearing gowns that are 
too shabby to be worn elsewhere, partly 
because I think that one looks so untidy 
with old finery (?) on in the kitchen ; 
and then one cannot keep so clean in 
anything that is fussily made. In Win¬ 
ter, I wear the printed wrapper material 
that is fleece-lined, and comes in such 
pretty patterns, and make those plain 
princess wrappers easy-fitting and hang¬ 
ing perfectly even at the foot of the 
skirt. They are warmer than calico, as 
warm, when lined, as wnolen, and easier 
to cleanse. I am well provided with 
long gingham aprons that I never fail to 
wear at my work, and always take time 
to wash, comb my hair neatly, and add 
a soft tie at my neck in the morning be¬ 
fore I leave my sleeping-room. 
After the dinner work is finished, it is 
m 3 ' daily practice to change my morning 
gown for a plain skirt of dark woolen, 
with a shirt waist in Summer or Winter 
made of seasonable material, with the 
addition of a white apron; I am not 
ashamed to be seen by my own family 
or any chance caller. Please understand 
that I am far away from a town, as I 
live on a large farm three miles from a 
village, but I think too much of my hus¬ 
band and family to allow myself ever to 
look untidy. My mother-in-law, with 
whom I live, complimented me recently, 
saying that I always looked neat, no 
matter in what work I was engaged, 
whether it be picking blackberries, feed¬ 
ing chickens, washing, cooking or any of 
the many things we farmers’ wives daily 
have to do. I believe in making home 
and person neat and attractive for the 
home folks. I know that it pays for us 
to be pleasant, neatly dressed, and ready 
to talk with the tired farmer when his 
work is finished. Then he will gladly 
remove his working coat for a cleaner 
garment, and his muddy boots for a pair 
of warm slippers, and settle down for a 
comfortable evening at home. I am not 
over strong, and work hard, but I get 
rested by helping to make the daily life 
on a farm pleasant, and husband shares 
this opinion with me that there is no 
place like home. Make home pleasant, 
and keep the children under the blessed 
home influence. That will make noble men 
and women for the coming generation. 
Virginia. f. x. e. 
A Separate Apron Bib. 
After many trials with waists and 
sacques, I find the calico wrapper the 
neatest and most convenient when en¬ 
gaged in regular housework or garden 
work. I buy the best of cotton goods, 
and manage to keep two or three new 
ones on hand at all times, and they must 
hang perfectly, otherwise they are not 
neat-looking. I make my sleeves open 
at wrist just enough to turn back from 
the hand three or four inches. Over¬ 
sleeves I always keep on hand, as some¬ 
times I am obliged to wash dishes. I 
like a bib separate from the apron, made 
closed around the neck to throw over the 
head, with band to button around the 
waist. It does away with the dragging 
of the apron, as when they are attached. 
Wisconsin. mrs. ruth .tones. 
Bibs and Oversleeves. 
In my view, a working dress of print 
or gingham is most suitable for house¬ 
work, but I see no harm in washing and 
repairing some other kinds of goods, 
which have become shabby and, when 
made decent, wearing them for work in 
the kitchen. For instance, a printed 
muslin or lawn is a comfort, in very 
warm weather, if not too much trimmed. 
Such ought to be simply made, so that 
they may be easily laundered, and not 
be too gay for work. A wrapper has 
some advantages, as it is quickly put on, 
and the weight of the skirt is not felt so 
much as it is when waist and skirt are 
in separate parts. The latter way, how¬ 
ever, is a good way to make a dress. I 
should not, usually, wear a loose wrapper 
much myself, but prefer a dress to fit the 
form better, in one piece, commonly 
called princess, but some might term it 
a wrapper. It is a good plan to cleanse 
and make over woolen dresses, for winter 
wear, if one likes them. Sleeves may be 
made so that they can be easily rolled 
up, and it may be best to have them so, 
for one who does all kinds of housework. 
I keep oversleeves and bib-aprons to 
wear with any dress in which kitchen 
work is done, and consider this kind in¬ 
dispensable. Plenty of time and money 
are spent on dress, and much thought is 
given to this subject, by most of us, but 
still there is great need of reform, as to 
neatness in dress. There may be some 
excuse for very poor women, who can 
hardly get gowns to make a change, and 
have great difficulty in getting clean 
clothing, but such persons are few, and 
untidy clothing is commonly the result 
of negligence. The poorest of our read¬ 
ers can get hooks and eyes, and fasten 
their dresses neatly, and they can have 
their hair combed, and the person clean. 
The summer boarder, who wears her 
old silk in tatters, because she is up in 
New Hampshire, has not a very good 
reason for doing so, neither has the 
wealthy woman, who wears her ragged 
silks for mornings, when up here, for the 
reason that she is not in some place of 
resort for wealthy people. I think such 
are not numerous. Some think it is of no 
consequence what they wear, when doing 
their work, but I hope that no readers of 
Tiie R. N.-Y. will take this view of it. 
It is best to aim to have our clothes al¬ 
ways clean and whole, and made in a 
becoming way, but not in a gaudy way. 
I should consider a neat cotton dress 
much better than an 3 r ragged silks or 
other finery, where neatness is lacking. 
New Hampshire. mrs. c. m. hunt. 
Neatness the First Requisite. 
Most of us are interested in the sub¬ 
ject of working dresses, and those made 
whole are preferable, because they are 
quickly put on. The wrapper has this 
advantage over a separate waist and 
skirt. To be neat, it must not be too 
skimpy, and of an even length all ’round. 
A wrapper or any other dress with a 
train dragging around the kitchen, in 
and out of doors, is an offense against 
neatness and good sense. Work dresses 
are satisfactory made plain waist or 
shirt-waist style, with the skirt sewed to 
the waist. The sleeves I find most easily 
managed are made full, with one seam, 
inside one curved like a coat sleeve ; a 
wide hem at the wrist, in which a run 
is made and an elastic is run in, not too 
snug, so the sleeve is easily slipped up 
the arm. Wash dresses are neater than 
woolen which will hold the dust. Out¬ 
ing cloth makes warm Winter dresses, 
though it is rather linty before it is 
washed. Some of our not-too-good 
dresses have to come to the kitchen at 
last, and the skirts do good service for a 
long time, with shirt-waists after the 
original waist is worn out. Over-sleeves 
with elastic at top and bottom, are easily 
slipped on and off. and protect the good 
dress. A good bib-apron is made like a 
shop-apron, straight up and down, a 
strap at the top to slip over the head, 
curved out to go under the arm, and 
with a strap to join the edges of the 
breadth in the back. Those made of 
chambray look neat. 
One good way to hold all skirts from 
sagging in the back is to make shoulder 
straps of a double strip of cloth, long 
enough to be safely pinned to all the 
underskirts with stout pins, a little each 
side of the placket, crossed in the back 
and pinned or buttoned to the under 
waist or corset at the chest. The out¬ 
side skirt can be fastened a little higher 
at each strap. mrs. i. l. hough. 
Massachusetts. 
Wanted 
A First-Class 
Man or Woman 
To look after our 
subscribers, secure 
renewals and new 
names. The com¬ 
ing year, 1898, will 
be the greatest in 
the history of THE 
LADIES’ HOME 
JOURNAL. Prof¬ 
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offered. Write for 
particulars, 
The Curtis Publishing Company 
Philadelphia 
