Chains of Habit.—­The diminutive chains of habit are seldom heavy enough to be felt, till they are too strong to be broken.—­Samuel Johnson.  Unique Table Protector.—­Many mothers prefer to bring their young children to the family table on ordinary occasions when there are no guests.  At the same time they dislike to mar the appearance of their table with the tin waiter which is usually set before the children to protect the cloth against the depredations of dropped bread and milk.  A clever device for this purpose is made of two oblong pieces of butcher’s linen sewed together in the form of a case, with an oilcloth interlining.  The linen is hemmed neatly so that it looks like an oblong napkin, and while it protects the cloth and the table it protects the table underneath; being white, like the cloth itself, it does not spoil the looks of the table.  When soiled the oilcloth is slipped out and wiped off with a damp cloth, and the linen case goes with the tablecloth and napkin.  Several of these cases will be needed, for the ordinary enterprising baby, but one piece of oilcloth will be sufficient for a long time.

Banish Tears.—­Banish the tears of children; continual rains upon the blossoms are hurtful.—­Jean Paul Richter.

Folding Bathtub.—­The thing most desired by a young mother in these days is a bathtub for the baby made of sheet rubber that is attached to a campstool foundation.  It can be folded up and put out of the way when not in use, and it telescopes into a small bundle when one wants to travel.

Flowers.—­Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made and forgot to put a soul into.—­Henry Ward Beecher.

Correct Length of Clothes.—­In making long clothes for the baby it is well to remember that the correct length for long dresses is one yard from the shoulder to the hem.  The petticoats should be made the same lengths as the dresses, or perhaps a half inch shorter.

Life.—­A pendulum betwixt a smile and tear.—­Byron.

[Domestic science 817]

Domestic science department.

The Theory and Practical Methods of Preserving Foods. 
Marmalades and butters.  Canning.  Jam
jellies.  Pickles.  Chafing dishes.

By Edna Gertrude Thompson,

Director of Domestic Science Department, Thomas Normal Training School,
Detroit, Michigan.

Theory and Practice of Domestic Science.—­Domestic Science has come to be considered one of the most important factors in our public school education of today.  We have just awakened to the fact that our daughters should receive training in those things which will best fit them for housewives and mothers.  While many of our girls are earning their own livelihood, the majority ultimately settle into homes of their own.  Many girls have an excellent opportunity to get the training they need as homemakers from their mothers, but many of the children in this country lack this home training.  There are two reasons for this neglect on the part of the mothers:  first, the mother may not know how to do these things herself; and, second, she may be a wage-earner and of necessity cannot train her daughter.