The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1872-02-23

BY 7. s. ARTHUR.

Hartley had found an old tin pan,
and was beating on it with two bits of
iron. The noise was particularly try
ing to sensitive nerves.
"Why can't l make it!'' asked the
boy. SIT dosen't hurt anybody"
"It hurts me- replied Mrs. Over
man.
Hartley looked curiously at his
mother.
"Where does it hurt you?' he que
ried.
"!t hurts me here, "shc replied, press
ing hand against her forehead, "and
it hurts me all over. It sets my nerves
ina CULVER" "
"What are nerves, mother? How
does it hurt thcm!' inquired the boy.
And Mrs. Overman answered,
"Nervos are little white threads run
ming all over our bodies Some of them
are so small that the eye cannot see
them, and some are as large as whip
cords. 1t is by means of these nerves
that we feel, see, hear, smell and taste
The eye, the car, the mouth, the nos
trils, and indeed the whole body, in
every part, t,arc full of them. The plea
sure You have in eating comes from the
nerves Of taste, and the pain you feel
when pricked with pin comes from the
nerves of sensation. There are nerves
Of feeling and nerves Of motion. If the
nerves OF feeling were destroyed in your
arm,I could cut it with a knife and you
would suffer no pain, Or if the nerves
Of motion were destroyed, you could
not move it.
The boy listened in silence then he
gave loud bang on his tin pan, watch
ing his mother as he did so. The effect
was decided. Mrs. Overman gave a
quick start, while a spasm of pain con-
tracted on her forehead.
"Did that hurt your nerves. asked
Hartley with the GOODNESS of a scientific
student.
"Yes,' replied his mother. eff you
had struck me on the head with your
fist, you could hardly have hurt me
worse
The signs of pain on the countenance
Of Mrs. Overman were too distinct for
even the boys eyes to mistake them.
He dropped the pan, aud coming up to
her put his hands ON her face and said,
"l'm sorry. Did it hurt you much?"
eyes, dear. My nerves are very
sensitive"
"What is sensitive, mother?"
Easily hurt, or very tender This
finger was sore last week." and as Mrs.
Overman spoke she took hold of Hart
ley's little finger. l can squeeze it
and you feel no pain, but few days
ago, if | had done so, you would have
screamed out. Why? 1t was sensi-
tive then ike my nerves.
"But how can noise touch your
ncryes?" asked the boy.
1T touches the nerve of hearing, and
through these jars all the rest"
"Oh!' he said, quietly, and with
the air of one into whose mind light
had come.
"Ail the strange and wonderful
things in our bodies Mrs. Overman
said, "are so linked together and so
dependent on each other that if any,
thing happens to one part, all the other
parts in measure feel the shock.
When you Jared just now my nerves of
hearing so rudely, all the sensitive
nerves Of my body were disturbed
"Why don't the noise hurt my
nervcs?" asked Hartley.
Because they are in healthy con-
dition-havc not been hurt by sickness
or suffering, as your finger was hurt
last week. l have been sick a great
many times in my life, and have suffer-
ed great deal of pain, and because Of
this sickness and pain, my nerves have
come to be so sensitive that any sudden
loud noise will send a pain through my
head. Little things, of which few
years ago | would take no notice, now
cause me disturbance, and often suffer-
ing"
"What little things, mother ?" asked
the boy, to whose mind had come new
thoughts and questions.
"Oh, a great many little things"
Mrs. Overman replied. ....' ...
"When l bang the door does it hurt
you?' Hartley's large eyes were read
ing his mothers face with a new inter-
est.
eyes, dear just little always, and
sometimes it hurts me great deal"
"And is that the reason you are al
ways saying. 'Oh, Hartley, why will