SECTION XI

THE SCOUT AIDE

Introduction.

The six following subjects, Home Economics, Child Care, First Aid, Home

Nursing, Public Health, and Personal Health are grouped together, and

for proficiency in all of them a special badge called "Scout Aide" is

awarded.

This badge will probably be regarded by the outside world as the most

important decoration the Girl Scouts can win, and all Scouts who will

try for it should realize that those who wear it will represent the

organization in a very special sense and will be eager to prove their

practical knowledge and ability in the important subjects it stands for.

No young child could pretend to represent ALL this medal stands for. Any

grown girl or woman should be proud to own it.

Practical knowledge of Personal Health, Public Health and Child Care

will add to the efficiency and happiness of this nation, and the women

of today have a better chance to control these things than ever before.

Home Nursing and First Aid will save lives for the nation in the two

great emergencies of illness and accident.

Household Economics, the great general business and profession of women,

if it is raised to the level of the other great businesses and

professions, and managed quickly, efficiently and economically, will

cease to be regarded as drudgery and take its real place among the arts

and sciences.

When the girls of today have learned to do this, the women of tomorrow

will be spared the criticism of waste and extravagance that our nation

has had to bear. If Girl Scouts make good as far as this medal is

concerned and become real "Scout Aides" the Scout reputation is secure.

[Illustration]

1. THE HOME MAKER

BY SARAH LOUISE ARNOLD

Formerly Dean of Simmons College

_The Keeper of the House._ Every Girl Scout knows that good homes make a

country great and good; so every woman wants to understand home-making.

Of course that means "keeping" a house; and of course that means that

Girl Scouts should try for the Housekeeper Merit Badge, the "Home

Maker."

Now "making a home" doesn't mean just having it, owning it and holding

its key. It means making it a good place to live in, or helping to make

it so. This sounds like the House that Jack built; but all this belongs

to the making of a home.

_Planning Your House._ When you plan a house of your own you must think

what it needs most. You would choose, first of all, to have abundant

air, fresh and clean; a dry spot where dampness will not stay; sunshine

at some time of day in every room of the house, which you can have if

your house faces southeast; and you must be able to get a good supply of

pure water. You will want to make your house warm in the winter and

cool in the summer, so you will look out for windows, doors and porches.

Think what must be done in a house: eating, sleeping, working, resting,

by the whole family. How many rooms must you have? Draw a plan of some

house in your neighborhood that seems good to live in. Make up your mind

what you like best in that house.

_Furnishings._ Then houses must be furnished with the things that the

family needs. The furniture will be for use. You must ask every piece

what it is good for. What will you do with it? Could you get along

without it? Some things you would use constantly, others once in a

while. Which would you get first if you were planning carefully? How

much would it cost to furnish the house for which you have drawn the

plans: to furnish the kitchen, the living room, the bedrooms? Make a

list of the furniture _needed_ (not just _wanted_) for each room with

the cost of each piece.

It is worth while for you to go to look at furniture in stores and to

think about buying it. Then you will discover that a piece of furniture

that looks well in the store might not look at all well in your house,

for furniture must "suit" the house and the room into which it goes. It

must "fit," we say. No other furniture will do. So the Girl Scout will

make up her mind what will fit her house; and of course this means also

what will fit the family purse. For the keeper of the house must not let

into her house one single thing that she cannot afford to buy. She will

take pride in that.

So when you make a list of furniture--with its price--make sure that

everything you choose, suits, or fits, _your_ house.

_The Cellar._ Most houses are built over cellars, for purposes of

sanitation, heating and water supply, as well as for storage.

The Girl Scout who lives in the country probably knows all about cellars

for they are much needed there. The city girl may live in an apartment

and may never think of a cellar.

Look at the cellars of two or three houses. How are they built? Did you

plan for one in your house?

The cellar should be well ventilated, having light as well as air. Its

windows should be screened; the floor should be dry and if possible made

of cement; the walls should be whitewashed. Ashes should be kept in a

galvanized iron barrel, to prevent fire.

A cellar should be a clean place, corners and all.

_The Kitchen._ The kitchen is a work-shop; it should be sunny and airy.

Look out for windows to let in the fresh air and sunshine. And while you

are thinking of windows, be sure that they can open at the top and

bottom to let sweetness in, and drive bad odors out.

Your kitchen should hold things that are necessary, and nothing else. It

should be easy to keep clean, having painted walls, and the floor should

be of hard pine or else covered with linoleum. When a Girl Scout takes

care of the kitchen she is in honor bound to keep all the corners clean

and to leave no dust nor crumbs of food anywhere about. She will take

great pains to keep flies out of the kitchen and so will have her

windows screened.

A good kitchen is provided with a sink and if possible with running

water; and it must have a good stove, with a place for keeping wood or

coal if either is used.

_The Kitchen Floor._ The floor of the kitchen should be made of hard

wood. Maple or hard pine will make a good floor. A hard-wood floor can

be dressed with shellac or with oil. The wood absorbs this dressing so

that water will not soak in. A floor which has been shellacked should be

wiped with warm water. Not much water will be needed. The oiled floor

can be wiped and dried, then oiled lightly from time to time.

Linoleum or oilcloth may be used to cover an old floor. If the floor is

rough it should be made even by planing before the linoleum is put down,

and the cracks should be filled. If you can't get linoleum you can paint

your floor with a hard floor paint. Be sure to get a paint that dries

hard. The linoleum should be frequently washed with warm water and soap

and then rinsed carefully before it is dried.

_The Kitchen Stove._ The chief business of the kitchen stove is to

provide heat for cooking. It must hold a fire, and so must be made of

something which will not burn. Stoves are usually made of iron. Fire

will not burn without air, so a place must be arranged to let air into

the stove, and just enough to make the fire burn clearly and furnish the

right amount of heat. That is what the front dampers or slides are for.

The fuel, wood or coal, is held in the fire-box. The heated air makes

the top of the stove hot for frying, broiling or boiling, and the oven

hot for baking.

The smoke and gases from the fire must not come out into the room to

blind our eyes or suffocate us; the chimney is built to take care of the

smoke and gases, and there must be a way for them to get into the

chimney; the stove pipe is for this. But the game you have to play with

your stove is to let the smoke and gases run up chimney, but to save all

the heat you can for the work to be done. So your stove is supplied with

dampers. When the fire is new, and there is much smoke or gas, you open

the damper into the stovepipe, and in the stovepipe. Try to get a

picture of the way the heated air goes from the fire-box up into the

chimney. We call this direct draft. Of course a great deal of heat runs

away through the chimney, and so your fuel is wasted. Now if you want

to save heat, and particularly if you want to bake, and must have a hot

oven, you will close the oven damper that has made the short easy way

into the stovepipe. Then the heated air must find another way to get to

the chimney, and it has to go around the oven to do this. While the hot

air is finding its way around the oven, it heats it, ready for your

baking. We call this the "indirect draft." Look over your kitchen stove

and see how this happens. Take off the covers, open every door, and

examine every part.

Stoves must be carefully managed. The fires must burn readily and the

cooking must be done with the least possible amount of wood or coal.

This means a clean stove, free from ashes and with a clear draft. Wood

or coal will burn freely in the air. They will stop burning if there is

no draft.

Learn to manage your draft. Remember that stoves are made with a damper,

in order to control the current of hot air. If the oven damper is closed

this heated air _must_ pass over and around the oven before it gets to

the chimney and so heat the oven. If it is open the hot air can

immediately escape up the chimney.

When starting the fire leave the damper open. As soon as it is burning

well, close it so that the oven will be heated. Your stove should also

have a damper in the pipe, to save the heat which would otherwise run up

the chimney. If there is none, have one put in. There are also dampers

or slides in front of the stove to control the amount of air going in.

The housekeeper must learn how to manage her stove; she must get

acquainted with it, for every stove has its own way. Draw a picture or

plan of the stove that you know best. See if you can tell plainly how to

build a fire in your stove. If you use natural gas or a kerosene stove

tell how that should be managed.

_Gas and Oil Stoves._ Cooking may be done on an iron stove with either

coal or wood as fuel, or the stove may be planned for burning gas or

kerosene. The coal fire must be fed several times a day with coal and

the ashes must be removed to keep the fire burning clearly. Wood burns

out quickly and must be replaced often. Both wood and coal stoves mean

almost constant care for the housekeeper.

Gas gives less trouble. It comes in pipes from outside the house. This

means that somebody else--the gas company--provides the supply. You turn

on the gas when you want to use it and turn it off, if you are wise and

thoughtful, the moment it is not needed. The gas company measures the

amount of gas that you use by its meter, and you pay for every bit that

you burn or waste. The important thing, then, is to use as little gas as

possible in order to pay for as little as possible. You would rather pay

twenty-five cents for a thrift stamp, than for gas that had burned

simply because you had forgotten to turn it off. Be sure that gas is

turned completely off at all places and never have a low light burning,

as the flame may be blown out and the unburned gas escape. This would be

dangerous and might even kill persons in the house.

The kerosene stove may be used instead of a gas stove in houses which

are not piped for a gas supply. If wicks are used they must be carefully

trimmed, so that they will be clean and even. A kerosene stove needs

frequent cleaning. It should be kept free from dust and from drippings

of oil.

The Fireless Cooker

When a Girl Scout gets to thinking about all the work to be done in a

kitchen she will ask some very important questions. How much work is to

be done? How long does it take to do it? Can time be saved by doing it

in a better way? How can I save labor? Save time? Save money?

The Girl Scout will find the answers one at a time, if she does her own

work. And if you do your own work you will at once call for a fireless

cooker. The name sounds impossible, for you have always cooked with a

stove, and, of course, a fire. How can you cook without a fire?

The women of Norway taught us how. When they went out to work in the

fields or on the farm they took the hot kettle of soup off the stove and

hid it away in a hay box. The hay kept the heat in the kettle instead of

letting it escape; so the soup kept on cooking, and when the women came

home from their work in the fields there it was, all steaming hot and

ready for dinner.

Everyone has noticed how some things carry or conduct heat and other

things don't. That's why we use a "holder," when handling a hot dish or

stove lifter or tea-pot. The "holder" does not carry the heat to the

hand; it keeps it away. So the hay packed around the hot kettle kept the

heat in the kettle, refusing to "conduct" it away. Therefore the soup

went on cooking.

Your English cousins use a "cosy" to cover the hot teapot or coffee pot.

This "cosy" is made of quilted cotton; and looks like the quilted hood

that your great-grandmother used to have. This keeps the heat in the tea

or coffee, so that you can have a second cup for the asking.

America was slow to learn from her thrifty cousins, but at last she

adopted the fireless cooker; and this is what it does:

The fireless cooker, a case packed with some material which refuses to

conduct heat, is used to continue the cooking of foods after they have

been made hot on the stove. When securely covered in the cooker they

will go on cooking for several hours because the heat is retained by the

protecting case. A Girl Scout may buy a fireless cooker, paying from $5

to $25 for it, or she may make one, which will cost less than one

dollar. Of course this is a challenge to make one. You may be very sure

that if you make a fireless cooker you will understand all about it. To

make a fireless cooker you will need:

(1) _A cooker or container_, which should be an agate pail with a close

fitting cover. The sides should be straight up and down, the bottom just

as big as the top. You can choose a small one holding two quarts, or a

gallon pail which would be large enough for anything an ordinary family

would be likely to cook.

(2) _A case_, which must be at least eight inches wider than your

container, for the packing must extend at least four inches around the

pail on every side. You may use a round case like a big wooden candy

pail, which you can usually get at the ten cent store for ten cents; or

it may be a galvanized iron can with a cover like the one ordinarily

used for garbage; or it may be a box shaped like a cube.

(3) For packing you may use crumpled newspapers tightly packed in; or

ground cork, which is used in packing Malaga grapes, is fine, and you

may be able to get it from a fruit store. Excelsior is good, and perhaps

you will find that in the shed in some packing case; while, if you live

in the country, you may be able to get Spanish moss. This should be

dried, of course. And then there is hay--which our Norwegian cousins

use.

Let us try paper. Pack the box or can four inches deep, with crumpled

paper, making a very even layer. Put a piece of pasteboard much larger

than the bottom of your pail upon this layer and set your pail in the

middle of it. Now pack the paper tightly around the pail up to the very

top, using a stick of wood or mallet to press it down.

Now you must make a cloth cover for your pail in the shape of a tall

hat. The rim of the hat must reach out to the edges of your case and be

tacked there. Take out your pail, fit this cloth cover into the hole and

tack the edge evenly to the box.

You must now make a cushion to fill the rest of the box, packing it full

of the crumpled paper. Make hinges for the lid of your box and put some

sort of fastener on the front to keep the lid down tight.

Now you have your fireless cooker. When your oatmeal or your stew, or

your chicken, or your vegetables have boiled ten or fifteen minutes on

the stove in your agate pail, clap on its cover, set it into the nest,

push the cushion into the top of the cooker, clamp down the lid, and

your work is done, for the cooking will go merrily on all alone by

itself in your fireless cooker.

While you are making your fireless cooker, remember that the thermos

bottle is made on the same principle. And remember, too, that your

non-conducting packing material will keep heat out just as well as it

keeps heat in. In the summer time you may wish to keep your ice cream

cold for a while in your fireless cooker. Perhaps you will see how this

might help on a hot summer's day and what a comfort a fireless cooker

might prove in a sick room.

The Ice Chest. How It Is Made

In taking care of food we must be provided with a cool place, for the

storage of milk, butter, cream, and all cooked food that may spoil. In

summer this is especially important; in an apartment, and in most city

houses the ice chest is needed all the year around; in the country, it

is needed only in the warm months.

The ice chest is built much as the fireless cooker is made. Its case is

usually made of wood, its packing material must be non-conducting, and

its lining must be some smooth surface through which water cannot pass.

Some ice chests are lined with zinc and some with porcelain tiles. In

some ice chests, food and ice are kept in the same box, which usually

opens at the top; in other chests there is a separate chamber for the

ice. From the ice chamber a drain pipe carries away the water which

drips from the melting ice.

Every ice chest must be kept clean and sweet. It should be looked over

every day and washed carefully at least once a week. No crumbs of food

should be left on the shelves. If you spill anything, wipe it up _clean_

at once.

The drain pipe must be kept clean. A long wire brush is used for this.

If you are buying an ice box, get one with removable pipes, which are

easily cleaned. If there is any odor from the chest, scald with water

and soda, a teaspoonful of soda to a quart of water. Rinse with fresh

cold water.

If your ice chest drips into a pan which must be emptied daily, have a

regular time for emptying it. An overflowing pan in an apartment may

damage the ceiling below. If it drips into a pan which drains itself, be

sure that the drain is kept clean and the entrance to the pipe

unclogged. Clean the drip pan whenever you clean the ice chest.

It is a good plan to keep food in closed containers like fruit jars.

Wide dishes take up too much space. Containers should be tall rather

than broad.

Put no hot dishes in the ice box; it wastes the ice.

The Iceless Refrigerator

An "iceless refrigerator" sounds like a "fireless cooker." This is an

arrangement made to keep food cool in the summer when there is no ice. A

wooden cage with shelves is covered with a cloth cover and placed near

a window or out of doors. If in the house it should stand in a large pan

to prevent the dripping of water on the shelf or floor.

A piece of the cloth cover should rest in a pan of water. If this is not

convenient a strip of cloth can be sewed to the cover endwise and this

piece should be placed in a pan or bowl of water which should be set on

top of the cage. This water will be sucked throughout the cloth cover of

the refrigerator until it is wholly wet. As the water evaporates from

the cover the air inside the refrigerator is cooled.

The iceless refrigerator works well on days when dry air is moving

about. It does not do well on damp, quiet days.

Another simple refrigerator which does very well for a little milk or a

pat of butter is a clean, earthen flower pot, turned upside down in a

shallow pan of water. This will keep very cool the food which it covers.

The Kitchen Sink

Next to the stove, the sink is the most important piece of kitchen

furniture.

The best sinks are of enamel or are made of porcelain. They have a fine

wire drainer so that nothing solid will go into the trap and plug the

pipes. The Girl Scout uses boiling water, and plenty of it, to flush the

sink. She takes pains that no grease gets into the drain to harden

there. When grease is accidentally collected, soda and hot water will

wash it away, but it should never collect in the pipes.

The Keeper of the House takes pride in a perfectly clean sink.

Taking Care of the House and the Things in It

Taking care of a house and its furniture means keeping the house clean,

neat, and orderly, and keeping everything in good repair. This means a

great deal of thought on the part of the Keeper of the House. For there

are many sorts of work to be done, and there is a right way of doing

every bit of it. By paying attention a Girl Scout may learn very fast,

and become very helpful and competent.

First, there's the Dish Washing.

Dish Washing

In making ready for dish washing scrape every plate carefully to remove

crumbs that would get into the dish water. Try using crumpled tissue

paper to remove milk, grease, or crumbs before the dishes are put into

the pan. Save tissue paper, and paper napkins for this.

Pile in separate piles, all dishes of each sort; wash first glass, then

silver, then cups, saucers, plates, then the rest; do not put bone,

ivory or wooden handles of knives into the water. Use hot water and soap

for dish washing, then rinse with clean hot water.

Dish towels should be cleansed after every dish washing; wash clean in

hot soapy water, then rinse all the soap away in clean water. Cooking

utensils should soak in cold water until time for dish washing, unless

they can be washed as soon as used.

Use a tray for carrying dishes to the closet or pantry instead of

travelling with a handful back and forth. Strain the dish water before

pouring it down the sink. Be sure that no greasy water is put into the

sink. Let the grease rise and cool; skim it off and dispose of it after

the dishes are washed.

Taking Care of Rooms

Keeping a house in order means having everything in its place in every

room. It means sweet, fresh air in every room; it means removal of dust

and litter. A good housekeeper "tidies" her rooms as she goes along,

always picking up anything that is out of place and putting it where it

belongs. But she also has a method in doing things. Perhaps she sweeps

the entire house every day or every other day, or perhaps she puts one

room in order on one day and another on another and so on. The important

thing is to have a regular plan.

[Illustration: HEIGHT OF SINK]

The Living Room

Taking care of a living room means cleaning the floor and the rugs;

dusting the walls, the pictures; cleaning, dusting, and sometimes

polishing the furniture. Open the windows top and bottom, dust and brush

them inside and out; use a soft brush or a dust mop to take the dust

from the floor. Use a carpet sweeper for the rugs unless you have

electricity and can use a vacuum cleaner; collect the sweepings and burn

them.

Dampen one quarter of your cheese-cloth duster and roll it inside the

rest of the duster, then wring. This makes a dampish cloth for dusting

the base-boards, window sills, and other woodwork as well as the

furniture. Where the furniture is highly polished, or would be injured

by water, use oil on the duster instead. Dust after the dust has

settled, not when it has been stirred into the air. Shake and replace

doilies or covers.

Be sure that the pictures hang straight after dusting and that every

piece of furniture is put in its right place. See how long it takes to

clean the room; then study to find out how the time can be shortened.

Do not keep useless furniture nor have too many things in your room.

_The Bathroom_ and the bath tub require daily cleansing. In the ordinary

family every one who uses the tub should leave it perfectly clean for

the next one who needs it. All the furnishings of the bathroom should be

kept sweet and clean. Use a flush closet brush daily, scalding it after

using it. And remember that fresh air and sunshine are cleansing agents.

Get them to work for you.

_The Bedroom._ Your bedroom needs all the fresh air it can get. The Girl

Scout sleeps with her windows open. As soon as you have dressed in the

morning throw the windows wide open again, if they have been closed.

Open the bed, so that both sheets may be reached by the fresh air. Shake

up your pillows and put them on a chair near the window. Leave your

night clothing spread or hung where it will be well aired. Let your room

have a fresh air bath!

You know already how to make a bed. You will remember that all the

bedclothing must be smooth and even, when the bed is made. You are lucky

if you have a sister to help you make your bed, for this piece of work

is easier for two than for one. You will see that the mattress is lying

straight. Once a week you (the two of you) will turn the mattress, end

over end one week, and side over side the next week. Then your mattress

will wear evenly, and not have a hollow in the middle where you sleep

all the time. Then you two will lay the mattress cover straight, and

tuck it in firmly, so that you will have no hard wrinkles to sleep on.

The under sheet, smooth and straight, must be tucked in all around. You

will make the bed as smooth as the table. Now the upper sheet, which is

the hardest thing to manage in bed making, must be neatly tucked in at

the foot. But you must allow eight inches at the top to be turned over

the blankets and spread. Now the blankets, straight and smooth, and

evenly tucked in at the foot. Then you may choose between tucking in the

sides after folding the top sheet down over the blankets, and afterwards

covering the whole bed with the spread, letting the sides and ends hang

down; and laying the spread even with the blankets, tucking in the

sides, and turning down the sheet over all. Try both ways.

Now, shake and pat the pillows, making them very smooth and quite

square-cornered; then lay them or stand them neatly at the head of the

bed, meeting exactly in the middle; and your bed is fit for a queen, or

a tired Girl Scout after a tramp!

With the bed neatly made, everything must be put in its proper place.

The furniture and window sills must be dusted with a clean cheese-cloth

duster; and the bare floors must be nicely dusted with a dry floor-mop,

or a cloth pinned over a broom. If there are rugs, use a carpet sweeper,

if you have one, or a broom. If you do any broom sweeping, however, you

will do it before you dust.

Now a last look to see that the room is tidy, every chair in place and

the shades even at the windows, and your room is ready for the day. Of

course any Girl Scout who wants a Homemaker's badge will _do_ all these

things;--not guess or suppose how others do them and how long it takes.

That is the honest way to learn. So find out how long it takes to put

your room in order. There is only one way to find out.

Fighting Germs

Keeping clean in these days means keeping free from troublesome germs as

well as visible dirt. Germs thrive in dampness and darkness. They can be

overcome by sunshine. For thorough cleanness, the house needs fresh air

and sunshine as well as sweeping and dusting. The Girl Scout must

remember to let the fresh air blow through every room in the house every

day. She should sleep with her windows open. She is fortunate if she can

sleep out of doors.

Of course she is in honor bound to have no dark, damp, hidden,

dirt-filled corners in any part of her house, not even in shed or

cellar. Let in the light and clean out the dirt.

Fighting the House Fly and Mosquito

House flies carry disease. They breed in filth, human waste, animal

droppings, decayed animal or vegetable matter, and are so made that they

carry filth wherever they go. Since the fly alights wherever it pleases,

it carries dirt from outside and distributes it wherever it CHOOSES.

Clean up all heaps of rubbish where flies may breed. Keep your garbage

pail _absolutely clean_. Disinfect outdoor water-closets and cover with

gravel or slacked lime. Get fly traps to set on your porches. Kill all

flies that come into the house, especially the early ones, in the

spring. Keep your windows and doors screened.

Fight mosquitoes just as you fight flies. Leave no still water even in

an old tin can, for the eggs of mosquitoes are deposited in still water

and hatch there. The mosquito, like many other insects, has an

intermediate stage between the egg and the grown mosquito. During this

stage it swims about in quiet water. Mosquitoes in great numbers may be

growing in old cans or bottles, rain-filled and hidden away under the

bushes in your yard. Watch for such breeding places; clean up your yard

and banish the mosquito.

Taking Care of Waste

All waste must be carefully disposed of. It should never accumulate in

the kitchen; but the important thing is to have _no real waste_. See

that everything is put to the utmost use. If you live in the country,

chickens and pigs will take the parings, the outer leaves of vegetables,

etc., and you can bury or burn waste. If you live in the city the

garbage man will collect all waste.

The garbage can must be kept thoroughly clean. It should be rinsed and

scalded whenever it is empty, so that there will be no bad odors about

the kitchen. Find out how garbage is taken care of in your town. How can

you help to keep your neighborhood clean? What should be done if there

is carelessness about garbage?

Taking Care of Woolen Things

Housekeepers must fight moths as well as flies. The clothes moth loves

to lay its eggs in wool. It is very keen in searching out bits of wool

and finding a place for its baby to thrive. Unless you have a care it

will lay its eggs in your best winter dress which you forgot and left

hanging in the hot summer days.

When the baby worm pokes its head out of the egg, it begins to feed upon

the wool; and when some cold winter morning you get your dress you will

find holes neatly cut where the little worm has gnawed, and beside the

holes the little woven cradle which the tiny creature spun for itself,

and in which the crawling worm changed to the flying, silvery moth.

The housekeeper must therefore, carefully brush and pack away all

woolen things before the moths arrive. After the garment is cleansed and

brushed it may be folded in newspapers carefully pinned at the ends, so

that no crack is left for the moth to get in it, or it may be laid in a

cedar box; or in any plain box with moth balls or camphor. Every box

should be labelled so that you know without opening it what is in it.

Watch edges of carpets and rugs for the carpet beetle and the "Buffalo

bug." The last bothersome creature may eat your cotton dresses in your

closet. All clothing must have care.

Make a list of the woolen things that must be taken care of if the house

is closed in summer and what personal clothing must be packed away for

the summer even if the house is not closed.

Storage of Food

Taking care of food so that it will "keep" well is just as important as

the careful buying of food. Much waste, and therefore loss of money and

labor, comes from carelessness in the storage of food. The bright Girl

Scout will keep her eyes open to see how foods are taken care of in the

house; which foods must be kept in the cellar; which ones must be stored

on the shelves of dry closets; which ones come in sealed parcels; which

in paper bags; which in boxes; which in barrels. There must be a place

in the house for keeping all these things. So you need to think which

foods _must_ be kept in the house and which must be bought from day to

day. And in the house which you plan there must be ample space for

closets and shelves, for keeping properly all that must be stored. No

one can say which things must be kept in the house by every family. If

the Girl Scout happens to live in a crowded city where rents are high,

she will have little storage space, and will not keep so many things on

hand. If she lives in the country, miles from a store, she must have a

"store" of her own. So keep your eyes open, Girl Scout, and see what is

being done in your part of the world. That is what eyes are made for.

Heating the House

A house may be heated by a furnace, by stoves, or even by open fires in

the fireplace, as in old days. Heating the house makes the chimney

necessary. This must be carefully arranged for in planning your house.

Heating by stoves is the most common arrangement. In the large city or

town, the furnace is used. This is merely a big stove in the cellar or

basement, so planned that its heat is distributed through the house. By

this means one big stove does the work of many little ones, and warms

the whole house.

The furnace may use its heat to turn water into hot steam, which is sent

through all the house through the iron pipes and radiators. Or the water

in the boiler may be made quite hot, though not turned into steam, and

sent through the house in the same way, by means of pipes. Or hot air

from around this big stove or furnace may be sent through big pipes

directly to the various rooms. This means dust and dirt, and we are

learning to use steam and hot water instead of the hot air system.

The fireplace is almost a luxury. It is found oftenest in country houses

where wood can easily be got and stored. The town or city home may have

its open fire, however. Everyone loves an open fire; and when you plan

your own house, you must manage to get one if you can. The hearth is the

heart of the house.

Labor Saving

The housekeeper must learn how to do her work in the least possible

time; she must save steps. Look at the house that you have planned and

see whether everything you need to use is within easy reach. Look

carefully at the closets where you keep things. Are they big enough?

Are they in the right place? Suppose your water comes from a well which

is a long way from the house. What difference will it make? What would

you do about it?

The Water Supply

The water supply of every home should be carefully guarded. If the water

is defiled or contaminated by germs of typhoid fever, diphtheria, or

other diseases, whose bacteria may be carried by water, the disease may

be spread wherever the water is used.

No earth closets or human or animal waste should be in the neighborhood

of the well. Water should come from high ground and clean places with no

possibility of gathering infection on the way to the house. Great pains

should be taken to keep drinking water absolutely clean. All drinking

vessels should be washed and scalded and the rims should never be

handled.

In the country every home has a private water supply and takes pains to

guard it. In the city there is a common water supply and everyone is

responsible for keeping it pure. Where does the water come from that

supplies your city or town? How is it kept clean? Who takes care of it?

Whenever there is any question about the purity of common drinking

water, the table supply should be boiled, for safety. Boiling will

destroy any bacteria that could produce disease. This boiled water

should be used for rinsing dishes as well as for drinking.

Girl Scouts will interest themselves in municipal or neighborhood

housekeeping, for that is a responsibility which all share together.

Learning to take care of one's own home is a good beginning, if one is

to share in providing good conditions for the neighborhood.

Little Things Worth Remembering

The stove should be cleaned with crumpled newspaper whenever the kitchen

is put in order. All ashes should be neatly brushed off.

In lifting ashes from the ash pan with a shovel use a newspaper to cover

the pail into which the ashes are poured, so that the dust will not

scatter over the room. Don't dump them and raise dust; and never put hot

ashes into a wooden box or barrel.

Watch the floor of closets and see that no dusty corners are hidden out

of sight.

Air and dry soiled clothing before putting it in the laundry basket. If

damp clothes are hidden away they will mildew.

Learn to make out a laundry list and to check it when the laundry comes

home.

Save the soap chips and use a soap shaker.

Get all the help you can from older housekeepers in your neighborhood.

Ask them how they do things and why. Your mother may know something

better than anybody else does.

The Girl Scout asks questions and learns why things are done as they

are. She may think out a better way some day, but first she must pay

attention to the old way.

Sing at your work; it goes better so. Besides, joy belongs with

housekeeping and your song helps to keep her there. Always sing if the

work drags, but let it be a lively song!

Making Things Clean and Keeping Clean

Making things clean is a most important duty of the Keeper of the House.

But don't forget, Girl Scout, that keeping things clean is a constant

duty. You know many a body who "cleans up" with a lot of stir once in a

while, but who litters and spills and spreads dirt and lets dust collect

in corners all the rest of the time.

"Keeping clean" is the housekeeper's regular business, and "cleaning up"

never need stir up the whole house.

For keeping clean, soap and water must always be had. The soap loves to

wrestle with grease. The water softens and rinses away both dirt and

soap. You will use a scouring soap or powder to clean stained or dirty

metal or glass; and you should cover water-closets and other out-of-door

places for refuse with clean slaked lime now and then to keep them

clean.

Ten Ways of Removing Stains

1. When you have _raspberry_ or _blueberry_ or _strawberry_ stains on

your white handkerchief or blouse or skirt, do not be too much

disturbed. Hold the stained part firmly over an empty bowl, with the

spot well in the centre, and ask some one to pour boiling hot water over

the spot and into the bowl. The stains will disappear like magic. Then

the wet spot may be dried and pressed with a hot iron, and the damage is

repaired.

2. _Peach_ stains are much harder to remove, but they should be treated

just as the others were treated. Often several applications of hot water

are necessary for these stubborn stains. But you must not lose patience.

And you must not use soap. The stain will fade out at last under the hot

water.

3. _Ink_ stains are a great bother, especially to the school girl who

carries a leaky fountain pen. Do not let them get dry. They will be much

harder to remove. Sometimes cold water, applied immediately, will remove

the ink, if the spot is rinsed carefully. Use the cold water just as the

hot water is used for the peach stain. If that does not remove it try

milk. If the milk fails, let the spot soak in sour milk. Sometimes it

must soak a day or two; but it will disappear in the end, with rinsing

and a little rubbing.

4. _Ink_ stains on a carpet are a serious matter. Let us hope that no

Girl Scout will be so unlucky as to upset an ink bottle on a friend's

carpet or rug. If she does, she should know the best way to set about

removing it. This should be done as quickly as possible before the ink

dries, or "sets." Take cotton, or soft tissue paper or blotting paper,

and absorb all that has not soaked in. You will see that the "sooner"

_is_ the "better" in this case. Try not to increase the size of the

spot, for you must keep the ink from spreading. Then dip fresh cotton in

milk, and carefully sop the spot. Do not use the cotton when it is inky;

that will smear the carpet and spread the stain. Use fresh bits of

cotton, dipped in clean milk, until the stain has disappeared. Then

rinse with clean water in the same way, and dry with dry cotton.

5. The _spots_ made on silk or woolen by _acids_ may be removed by

touching with ammonia or baking soda, dissolved in a little water. The

bright yellow spot on a black dress will sometimes run away like

lightning when touched by the wet cork of the ammonia bottle.

6. _Egg stains_ on the napkin, or sometimes, unfortunately, on a dress

front, must be removed before washing. Use cold water alone. The egg

will dissolve and can be rinsed out. Hot water will cook the egg and it

will be hard to remove.

7. _Liquid shoe blacking_ is almost worse than ink. It must be treated

in the same way, _and at once_.

8. _Coffee_ and _tea stains_ will wash out with either warm water or

soap and water. A black coffee stain on a fresh tablecloth may be

removed like the berry stains, by the teakettle and bowl method.

9. _Grease spots_ may be removed from washable fabrics by soap and

water. For silk and woolen, gasoline should be used. Use gasoline in

daytime only, to avoid lamps or gas in the neighborhood; and _never_

near a fire. Use carbona instead of gasoline or benzine when possible,

as it cannot burn. Remember that all grease or sugar spots should be

removed before putting a woolen garment away. Moths always seek them

out, and they will find them if you don't.

10. _Paint_ can be removed by soaking the spot in turpentine. This

dissolves it, and a bit of rubbing shakes it out. A brush helps, when

the paint spot is on a woolen garment, after the turpentine has done its

work.

_Remember_: All spots and stains should be removed before washing the

garment.

GOOD MANNERS AND SOCIAL FORMS

It is easier to meet people socially if we are acquainted with the

simple forms of introductions, meeting and parting, and so forth. A girl

who is entertaining her friends will be more successful in doing so if

she plans ahead how she can welcome them and has all the necessary

preparations for a substantial good time, at hand. This planning also

makes it possible for her to be less occupied when the time comes, and

to have a good time herself.

Stand where guests can see you at once when they enter.

Always introduce a younger person _to_ an older one, as "Mrs. Smith, may

I present Miss Jones, or Mr. Brown?" A man is always presented _to_ a

woman, or a girl, as "Miss Brewster, may I present Mr. Duncan?"

If you have many guests, ask some of your friends to join you in

watching to be sure that no one is left out, so that the evening may be

a success for every one. It is sometimes difficult for a hostess to do

this alone.

If you ask other girls to help you ask each to do a definite thing, as

to arrange for wraps, sing or play, pay special attention to some older

person, etc. This saves confusion, as the Pine Tree patrol does in camp.

A few intimate friends need no plan to make them have a good time, but

with a large number it is usually better to plan games, music, charades,

or some other form of entertainment.

When invited to a house at a certain time, be prompt. Promptness is

always a mark of courtesy, as it means consideration for the time and

convenience of others. One should also watch carefully the time of

leaving, and not stay about unless specially detained.

TABLE MANNERS

Accept what is offered or placed before you, with a quiet "Thank you."

If you are asked what you prefer, it is proper to name it.

Do not drink while food is in the mouth.

Take soup quietly from the side of the spoon, dipping it into the plate

_from_ instead of towards you, to avoid dripping the soup.

Break bread or roll, and spread with butter only the piece which you are

about to eat.

Use knife only as a divider, the fork to take food to the mouth. Where

one can dispense with a knife, and use only the fork to divide food, do

so. When not using either, lay them together across the side of the

plate, not resting on the table cloth.

A spoon should never be allowed to rest in a tall receptacle such as a

cup or glass, as it is likely to overturn the receptacle. Place the

spoon on plate or saucer.

At close of meal, fold napkin, that table may be left in orderly

condition. When napkins are to be washed at once, or when they are paper

napkins, they need not be folded.

Do not begin a course until all are served.

Sometimes it is better to serve the hostess first, and sometimes it is

the custom to serve the guest first, that is the guest of honor who sits

on the hostess' right. When the host or hostess does the serving, the

guest is served first.

Do not be troubled if you use the wrong spoon or fork, and never call

attention to anyone else's doing so. No matter how you feel, or what the

blunder or accident may be, such as spilling something or dropping a

plate, never show displeasure to either servant or guest. Good breeding

and pleasant atmosphere are essential to all entertainment.

Good breeding means first of all thoughtfulness of others, and nothing

shows lack of breeding so quickly as a lack of such politeness to those

who happen to be serving us in hotels, at home, in shops, or when

travelling, or anywhere else.

When acting as waitress, stand at the left of the person to be served,

so that the portion may be taken with the right hand.

Preparing the Meal

Plan the cooking so that the food that is to be served may be kept hot;

for instance, soup may be kept hot on the back of the stove or where

there is less heat, while the meat or vegetables are being cooked. Food

that is to be served cold, should be kept in the ice-box or standing in

water until the last moment and served in chilled dishes. In placing the

food on the dishes and platters care should be taken to make it look

attractive.

Setting the Table

When setting the table keep in mind how many courses there will be, and

therefore, how many knives, forks, and spoons are needed. Have

everything clean, and lay everything straight. Air room well. Wipe

table, and if a tablecloth is used, cover table with a felt silence

cloth. If a tablecloth is used, it should be laid with the fold in the

center of the table. If a centerpiece and doilies are used, they should

be laid at even distances. Clean white oil cloth and paper napkins make

an attractive looking table. At each cover the knife, edge in, is placed

at the right with the spoon, and the glass is placed at the right in

line with the end of the knife. The fork is at the left and bread and

butter plate and small knife are at the left opposite the glass. Put the

napkin between the knife and fork.

[Illustration]

Salt, pepper, water, bread and butter should be on the table, and if

necessary, vinegar, mustard, sugar, pickles, etc.

When possible a few flowers add to the appearance of the table.

Have as much ready as possible before sitting down at the table. See at

least that (1), glasses are filled; (2), butter portioned; (3), chairs

placed.

Hard and fast rules as to table setting do not exist. Local customs, the

amount of service at hand, and common sense must govern this. The

captain, assisted by the council, must be the judges.

THE GIRL SCOUT COOK

BY ULA M. DOW, A. M.

_In charge of Division of Food, Simmons College_

The Girl Scout who has earned the Cooking Badge may be a great help at

home if she has learned to work quickly and neatly and may get much

amusement both at home and on camping parties. If the first trial of a

process is not a success, the Scout should have patience to try again

and again until her result is satisfactory. If she has learned to

prepare a few simple dishes well she should have courage to try

unfamiliar recipes which are found in any good cook book. If she is to

be ready to take responsibility when it is necessary, she should be able

to plan the meals in such a way that nothing is wasted and that the

family is satisfied and well-nourished.

When working in the kitchen the Scout should wear a clean, washable

dress, or a washable apron which covers her dress. She should be sure

that her hair is tidy, and she should remember to wash her hands before

beginning work. She should try to use as few dishes as possible and not

to spill or spatter. She should remember that her cooking is not

finished until she has cleaned up after herself, has washed and put away

the dishes, washed the dish towels and left the kitchen in order.

WHAT TO HAVE FOR BREAKFAST--Breakfast is in most families the simplest

meal of the day and the easiest to prepare. Some people are satisfied

with fruit, cereal, toast or muffins, coffee for the adults, and milk

for the children. Many families, however, like the addition of a

heartier dish, such as boiled or poached eggs, fish hash, or minced meat

on toast. If a hearty dish is served at breakfast this is a good time to

use up such left-overs as potato, fish, or meat.

SIMPLE BREAKFAST

Apple sauce or sliced peaches.

Oatmeal or cornmeal mush.

Toast or muffins.

Coffee (for adults).

Milk (for children).

HEARTY BREAKFAST

Apple sauce or sliced peaches.

Oatmeal or cornmeal mush.

Toast or muffins.

Coffee (for adults).

Milk (for children).

Poached eggs or minced lamb on toast.

FRUIT--Raw fruit should be carefully washed and prepared in such a way

that it can be easily eaten. Berries may be cooked with no other

preparation than washing. Fruits, such as apples and pears, should be

washed, pared, quartered, and cored before cooking. Any fruit which

becomes dark on standing after it is cut may be kept light colored by

dropping the pieces into a pan of water until they are ready to be

cooked. If this is done most of the water should be drained off before

they are cooked.

Dried fruits, such as prunes, which have a wrinkled skin should be

soaked for a short time in cold water before they are washed. Otherwise

it is impossible to get them clean. After washing they should be covered

with cold water and soaked over night, or until they are plump. They

should be put on to cook in the water in which they are soaked and

cooked until tender. Sugar should then be added if they are not sweet

enough.

The most common method of cooking fresh fruit is to boil it gently with

just enough water to prevent it from burning. Sugar should be added just

before the cooking is finished, the amount depending on the acidity of

the fruit and the taste of the family.

In sampling food, the cook should remember that the rest of the food is

to be eaten by other people. She should never taste from the cooking

spoon, but should transfer her sample to a tasting spoon which is not

returned to the kettle.

CEREAL--Cereals, such as oatmeal, cornmeal, and cracked wheat, should be

cooked in a double boiler. A double boiler can be improvised by setting

a pail or pan into a kettle of boiling water. Cereals for breakfast may

be cooked the day before and reheated in the double boiler, but should

not be stirred while reheating. A tablespoonful or two of cold water on

top will prevent a hard skin from forming while standing. All prepared

cereals are better if cooked for a longer time than the package

directions indicate. It is hardly possible to cook any grain too long.

The fireless cooker is especially valuable for cooking cereals, but a

longer period of time must be allowed than for cooking in a double

boiler. A home-made fireless cooker, described in another place, is

interesting to make. Ready-to-serve cereals are very expensive compared

with those cooked at home.

Cracked wheat, 1/4 cup to 1 cup water; 3-12 hours.

Rolled oats, 1/2 cup to 1 cup water; 1/2-3 hours

Cornmeal, 3 tablespoonfuls to 1 cup water; 1-4 hours.

Use 1/2 teaspoonful of salt to each quart of water. Have the water

boiling rapidly. Add the cereal gradually. Let the mixture cook directly

over the fire 5 minutes. Place over boiling water or in the fireless

cooker to cook slowly for a long time. Keep covered and do not stir.

The time of cooking given in the table means that the cereal is eatable

after the shorter time mentioned, but is better if cooked the longer

time.

TOAST--Good toast is worth knowing how to make. The cook should not be

satisfied with toast which is either white or burned.

Toast is most easily made from stale bread, which should be cut in

one-third to one-half inch slices. A single slice of toast may be made

by holding it over the fire on a fork. In camp a forked stick answers

every purpose. The easiest way to make several slices is to put them in

a wire toaster and hold them over hot coals. Begin carefully and hold

the bread some distance away from the fire, turning it often until it

dries. Then hold it nearer the coals until it a golden brown on both

sides. With a new coal fire or wood fire toast must be made on a toaster

on the top of the stove to prevent the bread from being smoked. If the

top of the stove is being used for other things, the drying may be done

in the oven.

MUFFINS--Any good cook book has numerous recipes for muffins, most of

which, can be made easily if the directions are followed exactly.

Cornmeal Muffins (for four persons):

Four tablespoonfuls butter or oleomargarine, 3 tablespoonfuls sugar, 1

egg, 1 cup milk, 1-1/3 cups flour, 2/3 cup cornmeal, 3 teaspoonfuls

baking powder.

Cream the butter, add the sugar and the egg well beaten. Sift the baking

powder with the flour and cornmeal and add to the first mixture,

alternating with milk. Bake in buttered muffin pan 25 to 30 minutes.

This mixture makes good corn bread if baked in a shallow buttered pan.

COFFEE--If the family drink coffee, they will want coffee for breakfast

no matter what other items of the menu may be varied. It should be

served only to the grown-up members of the family. Coffee of average

strength is made as follows:

One-half cup coffee finely ground, 4 cups cold water, 2 eggshells.

Mix the coffee, the crushed eggshell, and 1/2 cupful of cold water in a

scalded coffee pot. Add the remainder of the water and allow the mixture

to come gradually to the boiling point. Boil 3 minutes. Draw to the back

of the range and keep hot for 5 minutes. Add 1/8 cupful of cold water

and let stand 1 minute to settle. Strain into a heated coffee pot in

which the coffee is to be served at the table.

A method for making coffee used by the guides in the White Mountains is

as follows:

Boil the water in an ordinary pail, remove the pail from the fire, pour

the dry coffee gently on the top of the water, cover tightly and move it

near the fire where it will keep warm but will not boil again. In about

thirty minutes the coffee will have become moistened and sunk to the

bottom of the pail. If the coffee is slow in becoming moist, time may be

saved by removing the cover for a moment and pressing gently with a

spoon on the top of the coffee, but the mixture must not be stirred. It

is essential that the water be boiling when the coffee is added, that

the cover be absolutely tight, and that the coffee be kept hot without

boiling. Half a cup of coffee to four cups of water makes coffee of

average strength.

MILK--The little children of the family should have whole milk at every

meal. The older children should have milk at breakfast and supper time.

There is no food so good for children who want to be well and strong. A

part of the family supply of milk is sometimes skimmed to give cream

for use in coffee and on desserts. The cream contains most of the fat in

the milk, but the skimmed milk which is left is still a very valuable

food, containing the substances which make muscle and bone, and every

bit of it should be used in the cooking or for making cottage cheese.

The waste of milk is the worst possible extravagance.

EGGS--Eggs may be prepared in countless ways, and the ambitious cook

will find much amusement in trying some of the suggestions in the cook

books. Eggs are an entirely satisfactory substitute for meat and fish,

and are therefore often served for the main dish at dinner or supper.

Many people like an egg every morning for breakfast, but this is a

rather extravagant habit. If eggs are served for breakfast they are

usually cooked in the shell, poached or scrambled. The men of the family

sometimes prefer their eggs fried, but this is not a good method for the

children. Only fresh eggs can be poached successfully, so that this is a

good test for freshness.

_Poached Eggs_--Oil the skillet and fill it to within a half inch of the

top with water. Break each egg into a saucer and let the water boil

after the egg is placed in it. The egg is done when the white is

jelly-like and a slight film is formed over the yolk. Remove the egg

with a griddle cake turner to a piece of buttered toast. Sprinkle

lightly with salt. If the eggs are not absolutely fresh, the white will

scatter in the water. If the first egg to be cooked shows this tendency

oiled muffin rings may be put in the pan to keep the rest of them in

shape.

_Soft Boiled Eggs_--A soft boiled egg has much the same consistency as a

poached egg. It is easier to manage because the shell is unbroken, but

it is harder to get it of just the right consistency because the

contents of the egg are invisible. Most people are very particular to

have the egg just hard or soft enough to suit them, and it is necessary

for the cook to practice to be sure of uniform results. Drop the eggs

carefully into a kettle of boiling water, draw the kettle back on the

stove so that the water does not boil again and (for a soft egg) allow

the eggs to remain for five minutes. If the eggs are very cold they

should remain longer.

USE OF LEFT-OVERS FOR BREAKFAST--If the family likes a hearty breakfast

this is a good meal at which to use bits of left-over meat which might

otherwise be wasted. Meat may be chopped or ground, reheated in the

gravy which was served with it, and served on toast. Lamb is especially

good minced on toast. To make hash mix equal quantities of meat and

chopped potato and brown nicely in a greased frying pan. Such mixtures

should be tasted to make sure that they are salted enough. Some people

like a very small amount of onion with any of these made-over meat

dishes.

DINNER

WHAT TO HAVE FOR DINNER--If all the members of the family are at home at

noontime it is usually more convenient to have dinner then, but if

members of the family are away or hurried at noontime it may be better

to have dinner at night. Dinner may consist of several courses, but if

the mother or the daughter of the family prepares the meal, the family

is usually perfectly satisfied with two courses.

The main course of a simple family dinner consists of meat, fish, eggs

or a cheese dish served with potato, rice or macaroni, and a vegetable

such as string beans, green peas, carrots, cabbage, tomatoes or corn. If

the family likes salad, the vegetables are often served as a salad. This

is a very good way to use up small amounts of vegetables which are left

from the day before. Often little remainders of two or more vegetables

may be very attractively combined in this way.

Some families like hot bread at dinner, and hot breads, such as baking

powder biscuit (described under supper), or corn bread (described under

breakfast), are particularly good with some combinations. Examples are

baking powder biscuit with meat stew or fricasseed chicken and corn

bread with bacon and eggs or ham. If fish is served in a chowder,

buttered and toasted crackers are usually served. An occasional chowder

for dinner is an excellent way to use up any surplus of skimmed milk

which may be on hand.

The kind of dessert served at dinner, besides depending on the taste of

the family, depends on the amount of money which is spent for food and

whether there are young children in the family. Pie and ice cream, which

are favorite desserts in many families, are expensive. Little children

should not have desserts which contain a good deal of fat, such as pie

or doughnuts, or which are the least bit soggy, as some steamed puddings

are inclined to be. The most economical desserts and those best suited

to the children are baked puddings made with milk and cereal, such as

Indian pudding, rice pudding, and those made with cereal and fruit, such

as Apple Betty or peach tapioca. If there is skimmed milk on hand the

possibility of using it in a milk pudding should be considered.

Chocolate bread pudding and Apple Betty made a very attractive use of

left-over bread. Dessert should always be chosen with reference to the

heartiness of the first course. A main dish which is not very filling

can be balanced by a more substantial dessert.

SIMPLE DINNERS:

1. Hamburg steak.

Baked potato.

Squash or baked tomatoes.

Apple Betty.

2. Roast chicken or roast lamb with dressing and currant jelly.

Mashed potato and gravy.

Peas or string beans.

Orange jelly and whipped cream.

MEAT--The best way to learn about cuts of meat is to go often to market

and talk to the butcher whenever he has a minute to spare. Some cuts of

meat are tough with coarse fibers and much connective tissue. They

should be ground if, like Hamburg steak, they are to be cooked by a

short process, such as broiling. If not ground, the tougher meats are

usually cooked a long time with water and made into a stew, a pot roast,

a meat pie, or a meat loaf. These cuts are cheaper, but require more

care in preparation than the more expensive cuts. Examples are the

bottom of the round, the shin, and the flank of beef. The more expensive

cuts, such as the top of the round, tenderloin and sirloin, are more

tender, more delicately flavored, and are used for broiling and

roasting. Some cuts which seem inexpensive really cost more than they

appear to because they contain large amounts of bone or waste fat. The

difference between lamb and mutton is a question of the age at which the

animal was slaughtered. Lamb is much more tender than mutton, is more

delicately flavored and more expensive. There is a similar difference

between chicken and fowl. Fowl is much tougher than chicken and requires

careful and long cooking to make it tender.

_Pan Broiled Hamburg Steak_--Hamburg steak may be bought already ground

at the butcher's, or one of the cheap cuts of beef, such as bottom of

the round or shin, may be bought and ground at home. Many people like a

little salt pork or onion ground with the meat.

Make the meat into small, flat cakes and cook in a smoking hot frying

pan which has been thoroughly rubbed over with a piece of fat. When one

side is seared over nicely turn the cakes (a griddle cake turner or

spatula is helpful) and broil on the other side. Place on a hot platter,

sprinkle with salt and pepper, dot with bits of butter and garnish with

a little parsley or watercress.

A rump or sirloin steak may be broiled in a hot frying pan in a similar

way. Wipe and trim the steak, place in a smoking hot frying pan and sear

both sides. Reduce the heat and turn the steak occasionally (about every

2 minutes) until it is cooked, allowing 8 minutes for a rare steak, 10

minutes for medium cooked steak, and 12 minutes for well done steak, for

a steak 1 inch thick. Avoid puncturing the meat with a fork while

cooking.

Many people prefer to broil a steak on a broiler. This is practical with

gas or electricity or over a wood or coal fire which is reduced to clear

coals without smoke or flame. It is very difficult indeed to cook

Hamburg steak on a broiler.

Lamb chops may be broiled in either way.

_Roast Leg of Lamb_--Wash the leg of lamb, place it on the rack in a

roasting pan and put in a hot oven with the roaster uncovered. When the

roast is well seared (15 to 30 minutes), draw from the oven, sprinkle

with salt, pour a little water into the pan, and put on the cover.

Finish cooking at a lowered temperature, allowing 20 or 25 minutes for

each pound.

A dripping pan may be used in place of a roaster, using a pan of similar

size for a cover. A rack may be improvised from a broiler, a toaster or

a cake rack.

Beef is roasted in the same way, but is usually cooked for a shorter

time (15 to 20 minutes for each pound).

BEEF STEW (for four):

2-1/2 pounds beef shoulder or shin.

2 cups diced potato.

1/3 cup turnip cut in half inch cubes.

1/3 cup carrot cut in half inch cubes.

1/4 onion chopped.

2 tablespoons flour.

Salt and pepper.

Wash the meat, remove from the bone and fat and cut in 1-1/2 inch cubes.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dredge with flour. Sear the pieces of

meat in the frying pan in the fat cooked out from the trimmings of fat.

Put the meat in a kettle, and rinse the frying pan with boiling water,

so that none of the juices will be lost. Add the bone, cover with

boiling water and boil five minutes. Lower the temperature and cook

until the meat is tender (about three hours). Add the carrots, turnips,

onions, pepper and salt in an hour, and the potato in 15 minutes before

the steak is to be served. Remove the bone and any large pieces of fat.

Stir two tablespoons of flour to a smooth paste with a little water and

thicken the stew.

Such a stew may also be made with lamb, mutton, or veal, using other

vegetables as desired. Celery and onion are better than turnip and

carrot with veal.

CHICKEN--If a chicken is purchased at the market it is usually delivered

dressed. This means that the head has been cut off, the entrails

removed, and the coarser pinfeathers pulled out. Many times, however, it

is necessary to know how to do this oneself.

_To Dress and Clean a Chicken_--Cut off the head and draw out the

pinfeathers. Remove hair and down by holding the fowl over a flame (a

gas flame, an alcohol flame, or a piece of paper flaming in the wood or

coal range), constantly changing the position until all parts of the

surface have been exposed to the flame. Cut off the feet. Wash the fowl

thoroughly, using a small brush, in water to which a little soda has

been added. Rinse and dry. Make a slit down the back of the neck. Remove

the crop and windpipe. Draw down the neck skin long enough to fasten

under the back. Make a straight cut from 1/2 inch below the tip of the

breastbone to the vent. Cut around the vent. Slip fingers in carefully

around and fully loosen the entrails. Carefully draw out the entrails.

The lungs, lying in the cavities under the breast, and the kidneys, in

the hollow near the end of the backbone, must be taken out separately.

Remove the oil sack and wash the chicken by allowing cold water to run

through it.

To clean giblets (the gizzard, the heart, and the liver) proceed as

follows: Separate the gall bladder from the liver, cutting off any

portion of the liver that may have a greenish tinge. Remove the thin

membrane, the arteries, the veins and the clotted blood around the

heart. Cut the fat and the membranes from the gizzard. Make a gash

through the thickest part of the gizzard as far as the inner lining,

being careful not to pierce it. Remove the inner sack and discard. Wash

the gizzard carefully and boil in water to use for giblet sauce.

If the chicken comes from the market dressed it should be washed

carefully and any pinfeathers removed which were overlooked by the

market man.

_To Stuff, Truss and Roast a Chicken_--When the chicken is clean and

prepared as directed, fill it with stuffing (described later), a little

in the opening at the neck, the rest in the body cavity. Sew up the

opening with a few long stitches. Draw the skin of the neck smoothly

down and under the back, press the wings close against the body and

fold the pinions under, so that they will cross the back and hold down

the skin of the neck. Press the legs close to the body. Thread the

trussing needle with white twine, using it double. Press the needle

through the wing at the middle joint, pass it through the skin of the

neck and back, and out again at the middle joint of the other wing.

Return the needle through the bend of the leg at the second joint,

through the body, and out at the same point on the other side; draw the

cord tight and tie it with the end at the wing joint. Thread the needle

again and run it through the legs and body at the thigh bone and back at

the ends of the drumsticks. Draw the drumstick bones close together,

covering the opening made for drawing the chicken and tie the ends. Have

both knots on the same side of the chicken. When cooked, cut the cord on

the opposite side and draw out by the knots.

Lay the stuffed and trussed chicken on its back on a rack in a roasting

pan. Lay a strip of salt pork on breast. Place in a hot oven until the

chicken begins to brown, then lower the temperature and cook the chicken

until very tender. Baste often with the drippings in the pan. From 3 to

4 hours will be required for a five-pound chicken. If a fowl is used it

should be steamed for 3 or 4 hours and then roasted for 1/2 hour.

_Stuffing_--For a large chicken mix thoroughly 4 cups of finely broken

stale bread, 1-1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/8 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon

of poultry dressing and 4 tablespoons of fat. Pour over the mixture hot

milk or water, stirring lightly until the mixture is moist.

_Giblet Gravy_--If the chicken was properly roasted the drippings in the

pan should be nicely browned, but not burned. Make a gravy from these

drippings and the water in which the giblets were boiled. To do this

pour the water into the pan, set the pan over the fire and stir until

the contents of the pan are dissolved. Thicken with a smooth paste of

flour and water, using two tablespoons of flour for every cup of liquid.

Boil until the flour tastes cooked. Strain. Add the giblets cut in small

pieces.

VEGETABLES--All vegetables should be clean, crisp and firm when ready

for cooking. Vegetables are prepared and cooked in a variety of ways,

but almost all vegetables should be carefully washed as the first

process. It is convenient to keep a small brush for washing the

vegetables, like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and beets, which must be

scrubbed to get them clean. Vegetables which are to be eaten raw, such

as lettuce and celery, should be washed with special care, wrapped in a

clean, wet cloth and put in the ice box to keep them crisp.

_Baked Potato_--Select smooth potatoes of even size. Scrub them

carefully and bake them in a hot oven. The time required is from 45 to

60 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes and the temperature of

the oven. When the potatoes are done, slash each one with a knife to let

the steam escape, and serve immediately.

_Mashed Potato_--Wash the potatoes, pare, cover with boiling salted

water (1 level teaspoon of salt to a pint of water), and cook until

tender (30 to 45 minutes). Drain off the water and return to the fire a

moment to dry. Mash the potatoes, add butter, salt, pepper and hot milk,

and beat vigorously until light and creamy. For three cups of potato use

2 tablespoons of butter and 4 tablespoons of hot milk. Pile lightly in a

hot dish and serve immediately.

_Steamed Squash_--Wash and cut in one-inch slices. Steam until tender,

scrape from the shell, mash thoroughly, season with salt, pepper and

butter, and serve.

_String Beans_--Snap the ends from the beans, remove any strings, cut

into short pieces, wash, cover with boiling salted water (1 level

teaspoon to a pint) and cook until tender. The time required will vary

from one hour to three hours, depending on the age and kind of bean.

Drain the beans, season with salt and butter, and serve.

Canned string beans should be rinsed, reheated in as little water as

possible, drained, and seasoned.

_Baked Tomatoes_--Select smooth tomatoes of even size. Wash the

tomatoes, cut a thin slice from the stem end and remove a spoonful of

pulp. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and scraped onion, fill the cavity with

buttered crumbs, place in a pan (preferably one which can be used as a

serving dish at the table), and bake in a moderate oven until the

tomatoes are tender. Serve in the dish in which they were cooked or

remove them carefully to the platter on which the Hamburg steak is being

served, arranging them in a ring around the meat.

The buttered crumbs are prepared by melting a tablespoon of butter or

oleomargarine and stirring in six tablespoonfuls of dry bread crumbs.

DESSERTS--Most desserts are easy to make if the directions given in the

cook books are followed exactly. Many people take pride in making

delicious cake or pie, who are careless about making good toast or

baking a potato well.

_Apple Betty_--Prepare well-sweetened apple sauce and thin slices of

lightly buttered bread cut in small triangles. Fill a shallow baking

dish with alternate layers of apple sauce and toast, beginning with

apple sauce and ending with toast. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and

cinnamon and heat in the oven. Serve with cream.

_Orange Jelly_--Swell 1-1/2 tablespoons of powdered gelatin in half

cupful of cold water. Mix 1 cupful of orange juice, 1/4 cupful of lemon

juice, 1/2 cupful of sugar and 1-1/4 cupfuls of boiling water. Add the

gelatin and stir carefully until it is dissolved. Strain into a wet

mould and chill until the jelly is firm. Unmould the jelly and serve

with whipped cream or a custard sauce. To unmould the jelly, run the

point of a knife around the edge of the mould, dip the mould quickly in

warm water, place an inverted serving plate on top of the mould, turn

both over and lift the mould carefully.

SUPPER OR LUNCH

WHAT TO HAVE FOR SUPPER.--Supper shows more variation between families

than other meals of the day. Some men insist upon meat, even though meat

is served for their dinner, but this is rather extravagant unless there

is left-over meat which should be used. Hash and minced lamb on toast,

which were suggested for the hearty breakfast, would be equally well

liked by most families for supper. Many families prefer for supper some

milk dish such as macaroni and cheese or a cream soup served with either

stewed or fresh fruit or followed by a fruit or vegetable salad. Hot

rolls or baking powder biscuits are a very attractive substitute for

plain bread if someone has time to make them at the last minute. If the

mother and daughter do all the work of the family, they usually like to

have on hand cookies or cake, which can be used for supper rather than

to have to prepare some special dessert. Cold meat has the advantage

that it is ready to serve with little preparation, but many other dishes

such as the macaroni and cheese and the creamed soup, suggested in the

menus, may be made when dinner is being prepared and simply reheated

for supper.

A hot drink at night usually seems desirable except on hot days in the

summer. If tea is served for adults, the children should have cocoa or

milk.

If dinner is served at night, luncheon is served in the middle of the

day. The suggestions made in regard to supper apply equally well to

luncheon.

Little children should have their hearty meal in the middle of the day

and a light meal at night no matter what arrangement of meals the rest

of the family may have.

SIMPLE SUPPERS

1. Macaroni and cheese or cold meat

Stewed or fresh fruit

Cookies

Bread and butter

Tea (for adults)

Milk or cocoa (for children)

2. Cream of potato soup

Vegetable or fruit salad

Baking powder biscuit

Tea (for adults)

Milk or cocoa (for children).

_Macaroni and Cheese._--For macaroni and cheese the macaroni must be

cooked and white sauce prepared. Break three-quarters of a cup of

macaroni in inch pieces and cook in two quarts of boiling water to which

a tablespoon of salt has been added. The water must be boiling rapidly

when the macaroni is added and must be kept boiling constantly. When the

macaroni is tender, drain it in a strainer and run enough cold water

through it to prevent the pieces from sticking together. To prepare the

sauce, melt two tablespoons of butter or oleomargarine in the top of a

double boiler, stir in two tablespoons of flour and a half teaspoon of

salt and pour over the mixture a cup and a half of cold milk. Cook this

mixture directly over the heat, stirring constantly until it begins to

thicken. Then place the dish over the lower part of the double boiler,

containing boiling water, and let it continue cooking for fifteen

minutes. Put a layer of the boiled macaroni in a buttered baking dish

and sprinkle with cheese, either grated or cut into small pieces. Pour

on a layer of the sauce. Follow this by layers of macaroni, cheese and

sauce until the dish is full. Cover with buttered crumbs and bake until

the crumbs are brown. To make the buttered crumbs, melt one tablespoon

of butter or oleomargarine and stir in six tablespoons of crumbs.

The macaroni and cheese may be prepared in the morning if desired and

baked at supper time in a moderate oven. It should be left in the oven

long enough to become thoroughly hot. If there are little children in

the family a dish of creamed macaroni should be made for them without

the cheese.

_Cream of Potato Soup_--

3 potatoes

1 quart milk

2 slices of onion

3 tablespoons flour

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon celery salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 tbsp. butter or oleomargarine

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water. When soft rub through a

sieve. Scald the milk with the onion in a double boiler, remove the

onion, unless the family likes it left in, add the salt, celery salt and

pepper. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan, stir the flour into it and

then add this mixture to the hot milk, stirring briskly. Cook for ten

minutes over boiling water in the double boiler.

A good creamed soup may be made from almost any vegetable, substituting

vegetable pulp for the potato. Celery soup and corn soup are very good.

With these and most other vegetables, the celery salt should be

omitted. Onion salt is very useful.

Creamed soups are very good made from skimmed milk if there is a supply

in the house which should be used.

SALAD--The pleasure in a salad is in its crispness, attractiveness or

arrangement, and pleasant combination of flavors. A salad may be

arranged in a large dish and served at the table if it is the chief dish

of the meal, such as chicken salad or fish salad, but it is usually

arranged in individual portions and made to look as dainty and pretty as

possible. All fresh vegetables and fruits used should be crisp and cold

and thoroughly washed. Canned or leftover vegetables or fruit may often

be used.

_To wash lettuce._--Handle delicately. Remove leaf by leaf from the

stalk, examining for insects. Pass the leaves backwards and forwards

through clean water until all sand is removed. Fold in a wet cloth and

keep in the ice-box until it is used. The lettuce leaves should be dried

when they are used.

_French Dressing._--Mix 3/4 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt and

1/2 teaspoon of paprika. Add oil and vinegar alternately, beating

constantly with a fork until 5 tablespoons of vinegar and 10 tablespoons

of oil have been used. A quick way to make French dressing is to mix all

the ingredients in a bottle with a tightly fitting stopper and shake

vigorously until the ingredients are blended. Some persons prefer less

vinegar, and reduce the amount to 2-1/2 tablespoons vinegar to 10 of

oil.

_Cooked Salad Dressing._--

3/4 tablespoon sugar

1/4 tablespoon butter

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 tablespoon flour

1/8 teaspoon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

Dash of red pepper.

Heat the vinegar in the upper part of double boiler over direct heat.

Sift the flour, mustard, salt and pepper thoroughly. Pour the boiling

vinegar gradually upon the mixture, stirring constantly. Return to the

upper part of the double boiler and cook over hot water until the

mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Add the butter and remove from

the fire. Chill before using.

_Mayonnaise._--

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons lemon juice or 2 tablespoons vinegar

1/2 teaspoon mustard

2/3 teaspoon salt

Dash of cayenne pepper

2/3 cup of oil (olive oil, cotton seed oil or other edible oil).

Have the ingredients chilled, Place the mixing bowl in crushed ice. Mix

the egg yolk, mustard, salt and cayenne pepper. Add a few drops of

vinegar or lemon juice, then a teaspoon of oil, drop by drop, until all

the ingredients are used. Constant beating is necessary throughout.

_Fruit and Vegetable Salads._--Good combinations for salad are (1)

potato and beet, (2) carrot and green peas, (3) tomato and celery, (4)

asparagus and pimento. Combinations of fruit and vegetables are, (1)

apple and celery, (2) orange and green pepper. Combinations of different

kinds of fruit and nuts or cheese are especially good. Examples are, (1)

pineapple and orange, (2) white cherries stuffed with nuts, (3) banana

rolled in chopped nuts or (4) half pears (cooked or raw) with a ball of

cream cheese and chopped nuts in the cavity made by the removal of the

core.

Magazines which devote a page to cooking usually have in their summer

numbers pictures of salads from which suggestions in regard to

arrangement may be taken.

_Baking Powder Biscuit._--

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons shortening

3/4 to 1 cup milk or milk and water.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt, twice. Put in the shortening,

then add the milk gradually, mixing with a knife. The dough should be as

soft as can be handled without sticking. Turn onto a lightly floured

board, roll lightly 3/4 inch thick and cut with a floured cutter. Bake

in a hot oven 12 or 15 minutes.

_Tea._--People who like tea have very decided ideas about how strong is

should be and how long it should be steeped. The following gives tea of

moderate strength.

Scald the teapot and put in 4 teaspoonfuls of tea leaves. Pour over them

four cups of boiling water, cover and steep 3 minutes. Strain into a

teapot and serve at once.

_Cocoa._--The children of the family should never have tea. On a cold

night cocoa is a very pleasant variant from the usual glass of milk.

Mix 4 tablespoons of cocoa with 3 tablespoons of sugar and a little

salt. Add 1 cup of boiling water and cook until the mixture is smooth

and glossy. Add a quart of milk and heat to boiling. This may be done

more safely in a double boiler. Just before serving beat with an egg

beater.

General Suggestions

If the Girl Scout who is preparing for her examination will look back

over the menus which have been suggested, she will notice that milk is

emphasized. It is absolutely essential that the children in the family

shall have milk. If the family do not like milk to drink, it should be

remembered that every bit which is used in cooking serves the same

purpose as if it were taken from a glass, but little children do not

ordinarily get enough milk unless they drink some. Fruit should be

served at least once a day and better twice, and some vegetable other

than potato should be not only served but eaten by the family. Children

who are not taught to like vegetables when they are little sometimes

never learn to like them, and it is really important to eat vegetables,

not only because they contain important substances for growth, but

because it is only good manners to learn to like all the ordinary foods

which are served. Anyone who has cooked knows how discouraging it is to

feel that some member of the family does not like the food. There is a

temptation in the city where fruit, vegetables and milk are high, to use

too much meat and but little of these foods. It has been suggested

recently that in forming an idea as to whether the money is being spent

to the most advantage, the money spent for fruit and vegetables, for

milk and cheese, and for meat and fish should be compared. In a

well-balanced diet these amounts should be nearly equal. An increasing

number of people are becoming lacto-vegetarians, which means that they

eat no meat or fish, but balance their absence by using more milk, eggs

and cheese.

Before starting to prepare a meal the Scout should not only have her

menu in mind, but should have an idea how long it will take to prepare

each dish so that everything will be ready to serve at the same time

with all the hot dishes very hot and all the cold dishes very cold. If

all the dishes of the meal require about the same length of time in

their preparation the ones should be started first which can be most

easily kept in good condition.

Enjoyment of a meal depends quite as much on neat and comfortable

service as it does upon good food. The table cloth, napkins, dishes and

silver should be clean and the dishes should be arranged so that there

is as little danger as possible of accident. This is the reason, for

example, for the rule that a spoon should never be left in a coffee or

tea cup. This arrangement is usually more comfortable if nothing is

placed on the table which is not going to be actually used at the meal,

except that a few flowers or a little dish of ferns in the center of the

table is very much liked by most people, if there is room for it. It

often happens that the family see more of each other at meal times than

at any other time in the day and everyone should try to make meal time a

pleasant, restful, good-humored time.

HOUSEHOLD WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

The careful housewife soon becomes skilled in weighing and measuring the

various goods she buys and uses. At the store she is on guard against

short measures, and if she does not market in person, she has machines

at home to test what is delivered. The following table is given for

frequent reference use by the Girl Scout while earning her badges in

Homecraft. She will also find it useful in learning to judge weights and

distances for her First Class test.

TABLE OF HOUSEHOLD WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

(_Reprinted by permission of publisher from "Housewifery," by L. Ray

Balderston, M. A._ J. B. Lippincott, 1919)

_Linear Measure:_

12 inches = l foot

3 feet = 1 yard

5-1/2 yards = 1 rod

320 rods = 1 mile

1760 yards = 1 mile

5280 feet = 1 mile

_Square Measure:_

144 square inches = 1 square foot

9 square feet = 1 square yard

30-1/4 square yards = 1 square rod

160 square rods = 1 acre

1 square mile = 1 section

36 square miles = 1 township

_Avoirdupois Weight:_

27.3 grains = 1 dram

16 drams = 1 ounce (oz.)

16 ounces = 1 pound (lb.)

100 pounds = 1 cwt. (hundredweight)

2,000 pounds = 1 ton

_Liquid Measure:_

4 gills = 1 pint

2 pints = 1 quart

4 quarts = 1 gallon

31-1/2 gallons = 1 bbl.

_Dry Measure:_

2 pints = 1 quart

8 quarts = 1 peck

4 pecks = 1 bushel

105 dry quarts = 1 bbl. (fruit, vegetables, etc.)

_Miscellaneous Household Measures:_

4 saltspoonfuls = 1 teaspoonful

3 teaspoonfuls = 1 tablespoonful

16 tablespoonfuls = 1 cupful

2 gills = 1 cupful

2 cupfuls = 1 pint

1 cupful = 8 fluid ounces

32 tablespoonfuls = 1 lb. butter

2 cups of butter = 1 lb.

1 lb. butter = 40 butter balls

4 cups flour = 1 lb.

2 cups sugar = 1 lb.

5 cups coffee = 1 lb.

1 lb. coffee = 40 cups of liquid coffee

1-7/8 cups rice = 1 lb.

2-2/3 cups oatmeal = 1 lb.

2-2/3 cups cornmeal = 1 lb.

1 cup of liquid to 3 cups of flour = a dough

1 cup of liquid to 2 cups of flour = a thick batter

1 cup of liquid to 1 cup of flour = a thin batter

1 teaspoonful soda to 1 pint sour milk

1 teaspoonful soda to one cup of molasses

1 teaspoonful cream of tartar plus 1/2 teaspoonful

soda = 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder

2. THE CHILD NURSE

There always are and always will be children to be taken care of. There

is no way in which a girl can help her country better than by fitting

herself to undertake the care of children. A Girl Scout thinks for

herself, and knowing the Health Laws, she knows the important things to

consider in caring for children:

1. The care necessary for the child's bones.

2. When it should exercise its muscles.

3. Its rest.

4. The air, sun and food and water which it needs.

5. How to keep it clean.

_Bones_--Great care must be taken in handling a baby. Its bones are soft

and easily injured, and for this reason a baby should not be handled

more than necessary. When very young its entire spine should be

supported, and no undue pressure made upon the chest, as often happens

if the baby is grasped under the arms. In lifting a young baby from its

bed, the right hand should grasp the clothing below the feet, and the

left hand should be slipped beneath the infant's body to its head. It is

then raised upon the left arm. An older child should be lifted by

placing the hands under the child's arms, and never by the wrists. If

children are jerked or lifted by the arms, serious injury may be done to

the bones. The bones, when a child is growing, are partly composed of

soft tissue which is easily destroyed, and further growth is prevented.

Many children are brought to the hospitals with injuries done to their

arms from being jerked across the street. Do not let a child walk too

soon, especially a heavy child. Bow legs and knock knees come from

standing and walking when the bones are soft.

_Exercise_--At least twice a day an infant should be allowed for fifteen

or twenty minutes the free use of its limbs by permitting it to lie upon

a bed in a warm room, with all clothing except the shirt and diaper

removed. In cold weather leave on the stockings. Later, when in short

clothes, the baby may be put upon a thick blanket or quilt, laid upon

the floor, and be allowed to tumble at will.

_Rest_--Healthy children never sleep too much. A new born baby should

sleep nine-tenths of the day. A child should have a nap during the day

until four years old, and, if possible, until seven or eight years old.

It should go to bed before six. It should have a crib or bed to itself,

placed where it will have fresh air, but protected from draughts, and

its eyes protected from direct rays of light.

_Air and Sun_--A little child is in its room so much it is very

important that fresh air and sunlight should be brought to it there.

Rooms may be well aired twice or three times a day, removing the baby to

another room while the windows are open. The child may be placed in its

crib or carriage before on open window, dressed as if for the street.

After children are three months old they may be taken out, but the sunny

part of the day should be chosen, between 10 a. m. and 3 p. m. in cold

weather. At night the windows should be partly opened, but care should

be taken that the infant does not become chilled. Be careful that sheet

and blankets do not get over a baby's head. The clothes may be pinned to

the side of the bed.

_Food and Water_--Even little babies should be given water twice a day.

The water should be boiled, cooled and kept covered. It is hardly

possible for children or older persons to drink too much water. During

hot weather a child needs more water than during cold weather.

Mother's milk is the only perfect food for an infant during the first

nine or ten months. If it is necessary to give artificial food from a

bottle, the greatest possible care must be taken. The milk used should

be the best obtainable. To obtain clean milk it is necessary that

everything that touches it be clean, sterilized when possible, and that

the cows, and men who handle the milk be healthy. In New York City all

milk is classified according to its cleanliness and butter fat content.

The cleanest and richest milk is called "certified milk" and is sold

raw. The other milks are classified according to cleanliness. Grade A, B

and C are all pasteurized. Only certified and Grade A should be used for

infant feeding. You know that sterile means free from germs or bacteria.

Milk or water may be made comparatively sterile by boiling. Pasteurized

milk is milk which has been heated to 155° Fahrenheit, kept at that

temperature for thirty minutes and cooled quickly by placing the bottles

in cold running water.

Punctual feeding makes good digestion, and even if the baby takes an

extra nap it is better to wake a healthy baby to give him his meals at

regular hours than to let his digestion get out of order. Between meals

a little water which has been boiled and cooled and kept covered will

wash out its mouth as well as refresh the child. The average infant is

fed every three hours until it is five months old. After that it is fed

every four hours until it is fifteen or sixteen months old, when it is

shifted to three meals a day with perhaps a cup of milk in long

intervals. Solid food, such as zwieback and milk or cereal, is begun at

seven months, and by thirteen or fourteen months the child will be

eating cereal, bread, broth, beef juice, potato, rice, vegetables, etc.

Candy is harmful for children, and even older children should eat candy

only after meals. Raw fruit, except orange juice, is apt to be upsetting

in summer.

Keep the baby and everything around him clean. The baby's food is the

most important thing to keep clean. The cleanliness of the bottle, when

it is necessary to feed the baby from one, is very important. Choose a

bottle of fairly heavy glass with rounded bottom and wide mouth, so that

it may be easily cleaned. Short rubber nipples which clip over the neck

of the bottle and which can be easily turned inside out, should be

selected, and discarded when they become soft, or when the openings

become large enough for the milk to run in a stream instead of drop by

drop. Remove the bottle from the baby's mouth as soon as empty, rinse at

once in cold water and then fill with a solution of bicarbonate of soda

(baking soda), about one teaspoonful to a pint of water. Before rinsing

wash in hot soapsuds, using a bottle brush, rinse well in plain water,

and boil for twenty minutes, placing a clean cloth in the bottom of the

basin to protect the bottle from breaking. Before using new nipples

they should be scrubbed inside and out and boiled for at least five

minutes. After using they should be carefully rinsed in cold water and

kept in a covered glass containing a solution of boric acid (one

teaspoonful dissolved in a pint of boiling water), and at least once a

day be turned inside out and thoroughly washed with soap and water, then

rinsed. Nipples should be boiled twice a week.

_Bath_--A baby should have a bath every day, not sooner than one hour

after feeding. The room should be warm; if possible there should be an

open fire in the room. The temperature of the water for a baby up to six

months old should be 98°. Then it should gradually decrease, next

temperature being 95°, until at the age of two it should range between

85° to 90°. Before a baby is undressed the person who is bathing the

baby must be sure that everything needed for the bath and dressing is at

hand. The hand basin or small tub of warm water, a pitcher of hot water

in case it is needed, castile or ivory soap, soft wash cloths, towels,

brush, powder, fresh absorbent cotton, boric acid solution, and the

baby's clothes laid out in the order in which they will be needed in

dressing the child, the soft flannel bandage, the diapers, the shirt,

flannel petticoat, dress and shawl.