Diet from the fourteenth to eighteenth month, five meals a day:

First meal, 7 a.m. - A slice of stale bread, broken and soaked in a breakfast-cupful (eight fluidounces) of milk; or two tablespoonfuls of well-cooked and strained porridge (oatmeal or cracked wheat), with two tablespoonfuls of cream and a little salt (no sugar); a breakfast-cupful of new milk.

Second meal, 10 a.m. - A teacupful of milk (six fluidounces) with a soda biscuit or thin slice of lightly buttered bread.

Third meal, 2 p.m. - A teacupful (six fluidounces) of beef-, chicken-, or mutton-broth, with a slice of bread; one good tablespoonful of rice-and-milk pudding.

Fourth meal, 6 p.m. - Bread and milk, strained porridge and cream, with milk, as at first meal.

Fifth meal, 10 p.m. - A breakfast-cupful of milk with or without one tablespoonful of a good Liebig food.

To alternate with this:

First meal, 7 a.m. - The yolk of an egg lightly boiled, with bread crumbs; a teacupful of milk.

Second meal, 10 a.m. - A teacupful of milk with a thin slice of lightly buttered bread.

Third meal, 2 p.m. - A mashed baked potato, moistened with four tablespoonfuls of meat broth; two good tablespoonfuls of junket, with the same quantity of cream.

Fourth meal, 6 p.m. - A breakfast-cupful of milk with a slice of bread broken up and soaked in it.

Fifth meal, 10 p.m. - A teacupful of milk.

The fifth meal is often unnecessary, and sleep should never be disturbed for it. Should the child awake at 5 or 6 a.m. he should have a cup of warm milk, and not be allowed to go hungry until the set breakfast hour.

Diet from eighteen months to the end of two and one-half years, four meals a day:

First meal, 7 a.m. - A breakfast-cupful of milk; a lightly boiled egg, with a little butter and salt; two thin slices of bread and butter.

Second meal, 11 a.m. - A teacupful of milk with a plain biscuit or slice of bread.

Third meal, 2 p.m. - A breakfast-cupful of beef-, mutton-, or chicken-broth; a thin slice of stale bread; a saucer of rice-and-milk pudding.

Fourth meal, 6.30 p.m. - A breakfast-cupful of milk, with bread and butter. On alternate days:

First meal, 7 a.m. - Two tablespoonfuls of thoroughly cooked oatmeal or wheaten grits, with two tablespoonfuls of cream and a little salt (no sugar); a teacupful of milk.

Second meal, 11 a.m. - A teacupful of milk with a slice of bread and butter.

Third meal, 2 p.m. - One tablespoonful of underdone mutton pounded to a paste; bread and butter, or mashed baked potato, moistened with good, plain dish gravy; a saucer of junket and cream.

Fourth meal, 6.30 p.m. - A breakfast-cupful of milk, a slice of soft milk-toast, or a slice or two of bread and butter.

Diet from two and one-half to three and one-half years, four meals daily:

First meal, 7.30 a.m. - One or two tumblerfuls of milk; a saucer of thoroughly cooked oatmeal or wheaten grits with cream and salt, and one or two slices of bread (one day old) and butter.

Second meal, 11 a.m. (if hungry). - A tumblerful of milk, or a teacupful of meat-broth, with a biscuit.

Third meal, 2 p.m. - A slice of underdone roast beef or mutton, or a bit of roast chicken or turkey, minced as fine as possible; a baked potato thoroughly mashed with a fork and moistened with gravy; a slice or two of bread and butter; a saucer of junket or rice-and-milk pudding.

Instead of the potato, well-boiled rice or plainly dressed macaroni may be allowed for variety, or one well-cooked green vegetable - i.e ., spinach, celery, young onions, cauliflower, and young peas mashed with a fork.

Fourth meal, 7 p.m. - A tumblerful of milk; one or two slices of bread and butter or of well-moistened milk-toast; a baked apple, or stewed prunes, or apples.

An important point, often neglected, is the matter of drink. Even the youngest infant requires water several times daily, and the demand increases with age, so that the amount taken at one time will range from one to eight ounces. The drinking water must be as pure as possible and should not be too cold. In the heat of summer, however, water moderately cooled by ice may be allowed without harm.

The fresh-strained juice of sweet oranges is a useful addition to the diet especially when there is a tendency to constipation. At the fifth or sixth month two or three teaspoonfuls diluted with an equal quantity of water and with a little sugar may be given an hour before the second or third feeding, and the quantity gradually increased as age advances, so that at one year the child may take from one to two ounces.

The foregoing schedule must, of course, be regarded as an average. Some children can bear nothing but milk food up to the age of two or even three years, and, provided enough be taken, no fear for their nutrition need be entertained. If a child be thriving on milk, he is never to be forced to take additional food merely because a certain age has been reached; let the healthy appetite be the guide.

A young mother, in her solicitude to do her best, often finds great difficulty in adhering to simple rules in the diet of her child. Mrs. A., who has had great experience with children, having had some herself, tells her that the child would thrive far better if it ate such and such a thing, and did not keep to weak milk foods. Miss B. assures her that her cousin's last child grew much healthier after eating a chop with vegetables and pudding each day. Aunt C. comes with the announcement - which she breaks gently - that she knows the child 13 is simply starving, and the ignorant nurse confirms the statement.

All their seemingly convincing theories are very upsetting to a mother who wants only to do what is right. She must bear in mind, however, that some children can eat anything and live; but she does not know how much better, more robust, and disease-resisting they would be, did they adhere to a simple diet. Let her remember that the so-called "weak milk foods" contain those nourishing qualities to which nature, in her wisdom, has limited the child's powers of digestion. Therefore, young mothers, let well enough alone.

Much more difficulty is experienced in feeding infants during the first twelve months than during the second. It will be well, therefore, to consider what would best be done in case the suggested milk modifications should disagree.