Some weary woman with aching head, with hands burned, scratched, and bruised, may think it is asking a great deal of her to expect that she shall pursue the even tenor of her way while she is working twice as hard as usual, and is subjected to the many annoyances unavoid- able at this time. But it is really asking her simply to hoard her strength. It uses up a great deal of vital force to fret and scold while engaged in any hard undertaking, and if she feels uncomfortable, or a little ill-natured, let her express herself through the broom and scrubbing-brush. " If I wish to sweep my house and not feel it much, I let myself think of the ^ Solid South ' and the ^ Chisholm Outrage,'" said a friend of mine; *^then the corners are dusted, I assure you." Do not try to do anything else on the day set apart to clean closets ; it is very fatiguing to take out, deliberate over, and put back the usual belongings of a closet. Every- thing should be thoroughly aired. Have just as few things as possible in the closets opening out of sleeping-rooms ; old shoes and soiled clothes poison the air. When the bed- rooms are aired each morning, the closet-door should be left open that it may have its supply of fresh air. If new paper is to be put on the wall, and you have any 112 HOUSEHOLD HINTS. doubts as to tlie healthfulness of its coloring, take a piece to a chemist ; he can at once by a simple test determine if it is wholesome or loaded with arsenic. After washing woodwork, always wipe it with a soft cloth ; this prevents drops of water being left to dry on and to discolor the paint. A danger which all ambitious but delicate women should avoid is trying to accomplish too much in one day. The temptation to do just one thing more, and then another thing, is so great that much firm- ness is needed to resist it, but we must not yield. House-work rarely kills, but imprudence frequently does. Running out doors with sleeves rolled up and head unpro- tected when you are heated are needless exposures, certain to be followed by more or less suffering. Every one ought to feel that she is of too much consequence in her family to be laid aside for a day, and she owes it to those who love her, even if they do not say much about it, to take the best possible care of herself. CHRISTMAS GIFTS. When the holidays approach, one question agitates both father and mother. What shall we get for the children ? If one has an unlimited amount of money it is not hard to de- cide upon any number of desirable presents ; but if the purse is not very well filled a good deal of vigorous thought is nec- essary to enable one to select the gifts which shall yield the greatest amount of pleasure for the longest time. It seems a pity to spend so much as is usually spent on things which fall in pieces in a few weeks, or which are likely to be broken and be mourned over. A Christmas or a birthday gift has from association a peculiar significance, and for this reason one of the best things to give, even to little children, is a book. Not that books can take the place of playthings; the most confirmed bibliomaniac could not expect or hope for that ; but they may well take the place TALKS UPON VARIOUS SUBJECTS. 113 of many worthless things which cost more and give far less satisfaction. If each Christmas and birthday a book, adapted to the understanding of the child and in the direction of his taste (and what bright child has not strong proclivities toward something ?), were given him, by the time he is seventeen or eighteen he will have a good beginning for a library of his own. If wise discrimination is shown in the choice of the book, an immense amount of good may be done the child, and very early a correct taste will be developed.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Some weary woman with aching head, with hands burned, scratched, and bruised, may think it is asking a great deal of her to expect that she shall pursue the even tenor of her way while she is working twice as hard as usual, and is subjected to the many annoyances unavoidable at this time. But it is really asking her simply to hoard her strength. It uses up a great deal of vital force to fret and scold while engaged in any hard undertaking, and if she feels uncomfortable, or a little ill-natured, let her express herself through the broom and scrubbing-brush. " If I wish to sweep my house and not feel it much, I let myself think of the ^ Solid South ' and the ^ Chisholm Outrage,'" said a friend of mine; *^then the corners are dusted, I assure you." Do not try to do anything else on the day set apart to clean closets ; it is very fatiguing to take out, deliberate over, and put back the usual belongings of a closet. Everything should be thoroughly aired. Have just as few things as possible in the closets opening out of sleeping-rooms ; old shoes and soiled clothes poison the air. When the bedrooms are aired each morning, the closet-door should be left open that it may have its supply of fresh air. If new paper is to be put on the wall, and you have any doubts as to tlie healthfulness of its coloring, take a piece to a chemist ; he can at once by a simple test determine if it is wholesome or loaded with arsenic. After washing woodwork, always wipe it with a soft cloth ; this prevents drops of water being left to dry on and to discolor the paint. A danger which all ambitious but delicate women should avoid is trying to accomplish too much in one day. The temptation to do just one thing more, and then another thing, is so great that much firmness is needed to resist it, but we must not yield. House-work rarely kills, but imprudence frequently does. Running out doors with sleeves rolled up and head unprotected when you are heated are needless exposures, certain to be followed by more or less suffering. Every one ought to feel that she is of too much consequence in her family to be laid aside for a day, and she owes it to those who love her, even if they do not say much about it, to take the best possible care of herself. CHRISTMAS GIFTS. When the holidays approach, one question agitates both father and mother. What shall we get for the children ? If one has an unlimited amount of money it is not hard to decide upon any number of desirable presents ; but if the purse is not very well filled a good deal of vigorous thought is necessary to enable one to select the gifts which shall yield the greatest amount of pleasure for the longest time. It seems a pity to spend so much as is usually spent on things which fall in pieces in a few weeks, or which are likely to be broken and be mourned over. A Christmas or a birthday gift has from association a peculiar significance, and for this reason one of the best things to give, even to little children, is a book. Not that books can take the place of playthings; the most confirmed bibliomaniac could not expect or hope for that ; but they may well take the place of many worthless things which cost more and give far less satisfaction. If each Christmas and birthday a book, adapted to the understanding of the child and in the direction of his taste (and what bright child has not strong proclivities toward something ?), were given him, by the time he is seventeen or eighteen he will have a good beginning for a library of his own. If wise discrimination is shown in the choice of the book, an immense amount of good may be done the child, and very early a correct taste will be developed.

Household hints