Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/47

 29 necessary rest, not to mention its spleiidid capacity for acting as a "ship," "train, "desert island," etc. A toy cupboard of some description is essential, or the nursery can never be called ideal. The shelves ought to be low enough to be within easy reach of the children. Not only does it help to keep the nursery tidy, but it is also a never-ending source of delight to the chicks ; for is it not their very own, in which they can hoard unchecked the hundred and one treasures that unfeeling nurses are apt to catalogue as rubbish ? A toy table is considered a very great treasure. It may easily be fashioned at home. There must be an edge round to prevent marbles, etc., CHILDRBM A very high fireguard is an absolute necessity, and one that covers the grate right over is ex- cellent, for children seem to find anything to do with fire irresistibly attractive. If liked, an outside rail may be affixed to the guard, on which a few little garments may be warmed ; but on no account allow the nursery to be used as a laundry or dryin^-room, for this practice, beloved by inexperienced nurses, renders the air steamy and unwholesome. Besides this there is the danger from fire. Food should never be stored in the nursery, but the nurse will want a simple dresser-like cupboard in which to keep a tin of biscuits and a fevi other items, as well as the children's own special cups, plates, table-linen, and so forth. A miniature railed play 'ground where baby may crawl withou injury the rolling off ; it must be low enough for children to be able to sit at it on the floor with their feet under it. It should have castors, so that it can be easily pushed about, and it must be sufficiently strong to bear the child, who will inevitably use it as a seat. One of the latest and most successful addi- tions to the nursery is a sort of sheep-fold, in which baby can crawl about without injury to himself or worry to a busy nurse or mother. A ciawling-mat made of thick, soft material, on to which are appliqued animals and birds cut out of some bright-hued scraps, is also very useful. Babies simply love to roll and crawl on these mats, and hold contented converse with the zoological specimens adorning their surface. Nurse, on her part, will demand a big cosy chair, in which she can cuddle and pet her small charges, a lock-up medicine cupboard to fix on the wall, far from the reach of any inquisitive fingers, and a reliable clock, but not one that strikes or has one of those aggra^^atingly aggres- sive ticks. Unless a place is provided for these, it is un- reasonable to expect an orderly nursery. A few good pictures on the walls have a real educational value. Crudely-coloured and badly-drawn prints, etc., should nevf^r be permitted, for they do untold harm by wrongly forming the child's idea of art and beauty. In conclusion, the ideal artificial light for the ideal nursery is electric light ; but if this is unattainable, provide wall-lamps with metal reservoirs— not glass or china— and a safety apparatus for extinguishing the flame if the lamp overturns. Use the best oil, and have the lamp fixed in a strong holder on the wall out of the children's reach. Gas, though clean and most convenient, vitiates the atmosphere, and is therefore most harmful for the children's room. Do not allow many plants or flowers in the nurserv. Above all, they should not be placed in the window where they obstruct the light and air. A few geranium cuttings or a pot of musk provide interest and amusement, and the unfold- ing of a new leaf or a blossom gives instruction in simple plant life, but a nursery should never be crowded with growing things. The children's health is the most important con- sideration of all. and anything which prevents free circulation of the air is deleterious. Never allow anything in the way of rubbish to ac- cumulate.