As an infant during its first month is usually under the care of a physician and nurse, particular directions here would be inappropriate; but perhaps a young mother, left for the first time, by the departure of her nurse, with the sole charge of her infant, may derive some assistance from the following suggestions. The health of a child, as well as the comfort of a mother, are promoted by systematic arrangement in the care of him. The stomach of a very young infant will not contain food enough to suffice for several hours. Nature requires that it should be nursed as often as once every hour and a half; a baby of six weeks or two months, once in two hours, and a child six months old needs its food but once in four hours. There is no nourishment so good for a baby as that which Nature supplies from the breast of the mother. In case he is from any cause deprived of this, various substitutes are recommended by nurses. There are directions in this book (pp. 251, 2) for the preparation of food for infants, which have long had the sanction of skilful physicians, and which have been proved reliable by the fact that many families of little ones have been successfully reared according to them.

Respecting good milk for babies, see page 243.

With a little extra attention on the part of the mother, much weariness and loss of time may be saved, by accustoming an infant to go to sleep at regular hours. A healthy baby, under three months, should sleep twice in the day-time. An appropriate hour for the morning nap is ten o'clock, and for the afternoon three. He should not be rocked to sleep in lap, or in the cradle, but be laid in his crib, the light in the room not too strong. His clothing should be in every particular comfortable, and then if he cries his mother should not be disturbed, nor go to him to see if any thing is the matter. If he is well, it will not hurt him to cry even an hour (which he probably will not do); and after going through this gentle discipline, morning, afternoon, and evening, for one or two days, he will make no more trouble about going to sleep alone, in his crib, at the regular time. There is thus a slight beginning of that exercise of a mother's control which will prevent his "ruling the house," and which will afterwards make his submission to her authority in other things more easy.

It is the advice of an experienced matron, who has reared a large family of children, that the mother should not delegate the care of weaning her child to another. The separation from her which would be necessary would be a severe privation to the sorrowful baby; for in addition to the loss of his accustomed food, he must lose the solace of his mother's presence and loving attentions. The process of weaning a baby calls forth in a mother a blended decision and tenderness, which adds greatly to her power over him, and makes the subsequent training of him to habits of obedience comparatively easy.

The new-born infant should of course be washed in blood-warm water; but, after he has become accustomed to the temperature of his native apartment, he should be bathed daily in tepid water, or that which has stood in the room over night. Children are invigorated by cold bathing, and should be made clean, from head to foot, once a day. The morning is, generally speaking, the best time; but when they are old enough to become tired and soiled with dust by the exposure and frolic of the day, they should be bathed before going to bed. A bath sooner than two hours after eating is unsafe.

Children should go to bed early, and they will probably wake seasonably; but they should not be waked from sound sleep and required to rise. Nature is the best guide in this as well as some other things which could be mentioned.

A taste for simple food should be cultivated as the surest way of making children healthy. Good bread of various kinds, fresh vegetables, baked and stewed fruits, rice, plenty of milk, and good meats should be provided. Veal is less digestible and nutritious than beef, mutton, venison, or poultry; and fresh pork, which is poison to some persons, is not healthy food for any one.

The health of children is injured by eating rich cake and pastry; and much of the candy and most of the nuts, often found in their pockets, are very indigestible. Their food should be plain and well cooked; and they should not be compelled to eat fat, or articles to which they have a strong natural repugnance. This is sometimes required, in obedience to the rule that nothing should be left on their plates to be wasted. A reasonable quantity should be given; and, if they ask for more, they should be helped moderately. A healthy child grows fast, and needs a full supply of nutritious food.