hand an electric bell to press when he needs you.

The moral supports: A sick little girl is delighted with colored ribbons to adorn her hair, or a bright jacket to wear in bed, or again a new dress for her doll; likewise a boy takes pride in a fancy cap or in pajamas that please him... Let your patient always be well groomed in bed, and let him take the trouble over it himself, then look in the mirror at the result of his elegance; in that he finds a feeling of comfort and good cheer.

Plants and flowers: It needs no telling what pleasure the sight of flowers gives the patient: so do not withhold your care from them; put, for instance, some flower bulbs in a vessel filled with water, and set a number of pebbles in with them — they will soon grow and open into a little garden... Likewise fish glittering in a bowl of water, or a canary or a goldfinch in an attractive cage, will cheer the patient with its songs.

The box of old things: A collection of things that have gone out of daily use is enough to entertain the little one in his bed; do not bring it out except in times of sickness, lest it lose its novelty and charm... And what can you put into it? Anything: from holiday greeting cards to old playing cards, hats, remnants of clothes, ribbons, artificial flowers, old jewelry, watches, cigarette boxes, mirrors stripped of their mother-of-pearl, old dolls, and so on... The little one finds every

delight and solace in discovering them.

And do not forget, Madam, that little ones in bed incline to games that demand of them less effort than those that amused them in full health: what pleases the convalescent, for instance, is pasting pictures he fancies, chosen from the magazines, onto cardboard, and arranging them in different shapes, or joining together shells he has gathered from the shore with some glue...

A girl sometimes loves to knit wool or to sew clothes for her doll... And there is one amusement that pleases all children: blowing into water mixed with soap or the like and playing with its bubbles. And if your child has a hobby of his own, let him practice it during his sickness, or suggest some new hobbies to him, such as collecting postage stamps, or the leaves of different plants, or coins according to their shapes and kinds.

There are also reading books; during his sickness let them be adorned with drawings and pictures, and easy to hold; and there is the music provided him by an ordinary radio set, or by some records made specially for the young... Little ones by their nature love to feel that they can help their kin. So if your little one's illness is not contagious, let him help you in tidying some drawers or dishes, or again in cleaning the vegetables... As for schoolwork, let him have a holiday from it, if his teachers allow. With a little thought and skill you can, Madam, make your patient's convalescence a time of rest and profit.

Translated by: Umayma Riz