ren
most seriously is foul air; keeping the rooms where they sleep
closely shut up is destruction to them; and, if the child's
breathing be disordered by disease, a few hours only of such
foul air may endanger its life, even where no inconvenience is
felt by grown-up persons in the room."

2415. Persons moving in the beat society will see, after
perusing Miss Nightingale's book, that this "foul air," "want of
light," "too much or too little clothing," and improper food, is
not confined to Crown Street or St. Giles's; that Belgravia and
the squares have their north room, where the rays of the sun
never reach. "A wooden bedstead, two or three mattresses piled
up to above the height of the table, a vallance attached to the
frame,--nothing but a miracle could ever thoroughly dry or air
such a bed and bedding,"--is the ordinary bed of a private
house, than which nothing can be more unwholesome. "Don't treat
your children like sick," she sums up; "don't dose them with
tea. Let them eat meat and drink milk, or half a glass of light
beer. Give them fresh, light, sunny, and open rooms, cool
bedrooms, plenty of outdoor exercise, facing even the cold, and
wind, and weather, in sufficiently warm clothes, and with
sufficient exercise, plenty of amusements and play; more
liberty, and less schooling, and cramming, and training; more
attention to food and less to physic."

DUTIES OF THE SICK-NURSE.

2416. All women are likely, at some period of their lives, to be called
on to perform the duties of a sick-nurse, and should prepare themselves
as much as possible, by observation and reading, for the occasion when
they may be required to perform the office. The main requirements are
good temper, compassion for suffering, sympathy with sufferers, which
most women worthy of the name possess, neat-handedness, quiet manners,
love of order, and cleanliness. With these qualifications there will be
very little to be wished for; the desire to relieve suffering will
inspire a thousand little attentions, and surmount the disgusts which
some of the offices attending the sick-room are apt to create. Where
serious illness visits a household, and protracted nursing is likely to
become necessary, a professional nurse will probably be engaged, who has
been trained to its duties; but in some families, and those not a few
let us hope, the ladies of the family w