Yankee term "help"—Days of good health and intelligent house-keeping—Growth of wealth tends to multiply hired service—American young women should be trained in housekeeping for the guidance of ignorant and shiftless servants—Difficulty of teaching servants—Reaction of society in favor of women's intellectuality, in danger of causing a new reaction—American girls should do more work—Social estimate of domestic service—Dearth of intelligent domestic help—Proper mode of treating servants—General rules and special suggestions—Hints from experience—Woman's first "right," liberty to do what she can—Domestic duties not to be neglected for operations in other spheres—Servants to be treated with respect—Errors of heartless and of too indulgent employers—Mistresses of American families necessarily missionaries and instructors.
XXVI.
CARE Of THE SICK.
Prominence given to care and cure of the sick by our Saviour—Every woman should know what to do in the case of illness—Simple remedies best—Fasting and perspiration—Evils of constipation—Modes of relieving it—Remedies for colds—Unwise to tempt the appetite of the sick—Suggestion for the sick-room—Ventilation—Needful articles—The room, bed, and person of the patient to be kept neat—Care to preserve animal warmth—The sick, the delicate, the aged—Food always to be carefully prepared and neatly served—Little modes of refreshment—Implicit obedience to the physician—Care in purchasing medicines—Exhibition of cheerfulness, gentleness, and sympathy—Knowledge and experience of mind—Lack of competent nurses—Failings of nurses—Sensitiveness of the sick—"Sisters of Charity," the reason why they are such excellent nurses—Illness in the family a providential opportunity of training children to love and usefulness.
XXVII.
ACCIDENTS AND ANTIDOTES.
Mode of treating cuts, wounds, severed arteries—Bad bruises to be bathed In hot water—Sprains treated with hot fomentation and rest—Burns cured by creosote, wood-soot, or flour—Drowning; most approved mode of treatment—Poisons and their antidotes—Soda, saleratus, potash, sulphuric or oxalic acid, lime or baryta, iodine or iodide of potassium, prussic acid, antimony, arsenic, lead, nitrate of silver, phosphorus, alcohol, tobacco, opium, strychnia—Bleeding at the lungs, stomach, throat, nose—Accidents from lightning—Stupefaction, from coal-gas or foul air—Fire—Fainting—Coolness and presence of mind.
XXVIII.
SEWING, CUTTING, AND MENDING.
Different kinds of Stitch—Overstitch—Hems—Tucks—Fells—Gores—Buttonholes—Whipping—Gathering—Darning—Basting—Sewing—Work- baskets—To make a frock—Patterns—Fitting—Lining—Thin Silks—Fitted and plain silks—Plaids—Stripes—Linen and Cotton—How to buy—Shirts—Chemises—Night-gowns—Under-skirts—Mending—Silk dresses—Broadcloth—Hose—Shoes, etc.—Bedding—Mattresses—Sheeting—Bed-linen.
XXIX.
FIRES AND LIGHTS.
Wood fires—Shallow fireplaces—Utensils—The best wood for fires
—How to measure a load—Splitting and piling—Ashes—Cleaning up—
Stoves and grates—Ventilation—Moisture—Stove-pipe thimbles—
Anthracite coal—Bituminous coal—Care to be used in erecting stoves
and pipes—Lights—Poor economy to use bad light—Gas—Oil—Kerosene—
Points to be considered: Steadiness, Color, Heat—Argand burners—
Dangers of kerosene—Tests of its safety and light-giving qualities—
Care of lamps—Utensils needed—Shades—Night-lamps—How to make
candles—Moulded—Dipped—Rush-lights.
XXX.
THE CARE OF ROOMS.
Parlors—Cleansing—Furniture—Pictures—Hearths and jambs—Stains in marble—Carpets—Chambers and bedrooms—Ventilation—How to make a bed properly—Servants should have single beds and comfortable rooms—Kitchens—Light—Air—Cleanliness—How to make a cheap oil-cloth—The sink—Washing dishes—Kitchen furniture—Crockery—Ironware—Tinware—Basketware—Other articles—Closets—Cellars—Dryness and cleanliness imperative necessities—Store-rooms—Modes of destroying insects and vermin.
XXXI.
THE CARE OF YARDS AND GARDENS.
Preparation of soil for pot-plants—For hot-beds—For planting flower seeds—For garden seeds—Transplanting—To re-pot house plants—The laying out of yards and gardens—Transplanting trees—The care of house plants.
XXXII.
THE PROPAGATION OF PLANTS.
Propagation of bulbous roots—Propagation of plants by shoots—By layers-Budding and grafting—The outer and inner bark—Detailed description of operations—Seed-fruit—Stone-fruit—Rose hushes—Ingrafting—Stock grafting—Pruning—Perpendicular shoots to be taken out, horizontal or curved shoots retained—All fruit-buds coming out after midsummer to be rubbed off—Suckers—Pruning to be done after sap is in circulation.—Thinning—Leaves to be removed when they shade fruit near maturity—Fruit to be removed when too abundant for good quality—How to judge.
XXXIII.
THE CULTIVATION OF FRUIT.
A pleasant, easy, and profitable occupation—Soil for a nursery—Planting of seeds—Transplanting—Pruning—Filberts—Figs—Currants—Gooseberries—Raspberries—Strawberries—Grapes—Modes of preserving fruit trees—The yellows—Moths—Caterpillars—Brulure-Curculio—Canker- worm.
XXXIV.
THE CARE OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS.
Interesting association of animals with man, from childhood to age—Domestic animals apt to catch the spirit of their masters—Important necessities—Good feeding—Shelter—Cleanliness—Destruction of parasitic vermin—Salt and water—Light—Exercise—Rule for breeding—Care of Horses: feeding, grooming, special treatment—Cows: stabling, feed, calving, milking, tethering—Swine: naturally cleanly, breeding, fresh water, charcoal, feeding—Sheep: winter treatment—Diet—Sorting—Use of sheep in clearing land-Pasture—Hedges and fences—Poultry—Turkeys—Geese—Ducks—Fowls—Dairy work generally—Bees—Care of domestic animals, occupation for women.
XXXV.
EARTH-CLOSETS.
Deodorization and preservation of excrementitious matter—The earth-closet—Waring's pamphlet—The agricultural argument—Necessity of returning to the soil the elements taken from it—Earth-closet based on power of clay and inorganic matter to absorb and retain odors and fertilizing matter—Its construction—Mode of use—The ordinary privy—The commode or portable house-privy—Especial directions: things to be observed—Repeated use of earth—Other advantages—Sick-rooms—House-labor—Cleanliness—Economy.
XXXVI.
WARMING AND VENTILATION.
Open fireplace nearest