The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1872-11-14
HOW TO GO TO SLEEP

oiu yOu' altci you nave retired to
rest, review the day which has pass
ed, and examine Your failure or your
su rHta S. s;ool It's a question, at the
best, how frequent such examination
be; probably. at the most, not more
often than three times year. How
ever this is to be, such an examina-
ton IS never to be made after you
have gone to, bed. When I. come
to show you the methods of sleep, II
will show why. Distrust, again, all
old saws about eSix hours sleep for
a maid, and seven hours sleep for a
snan," and the like, which under
take to regulate for you, as by some
vernllllon edict ola Chinese empe-
ror, your performance of this absoo
lutte duty You can find out for
yourself, at least with the assistance
OF your physician, how many, hours
OF sleep you require; and, as we live,
1t IS much more likely that you re-
qulre nine hours of each twenty-four
than that you can make six answer.
The rule for the decision as to this
duty for the night comes in the rule
for the duty Of the Arrangement for
the days That rule is this, as well
stated by Thomas Drew: that no
man has any right in a single day to
incur more fatigue than the sleep of
the ensuing night will recover from.
No man has.any right.to draw on
tie capital Of his life, that is; or,
more simply put, no man has any
right 10 commit suicide by inches.
Determine for yourself, then, how
many hours of sleep you need. Re-
member that the bed-stead is built
the mattress laid, the sheets and
blankets spread that you may fulfil
this duty, and for no other purpose.
The bed is not confessional, in
which you are to tell the story of
your sins to that exacting and NOR
bid priest, yourself. The bed is not
a little cabinet, set off from your
counting-room, in which you are to
finish the calculations which were
interrupted by the bores who came
in at your Office hours. You go to
bed t, sleep, and for nothing else.
For similar reasons, distrust all
the opening chorusse of "Somnam-
bula," and all the other sentimental
poetry, which teach you that early
rising is, of itself, virtue and
praise. Whenitf is not based upon
the legitimate conditions. The ris-
ing of the sun is, indeed, one of the
spectacles which never disappoints
one, and the freshness of morning
has a glory which is all its own.
The instincts of life are then at their
truest; and in the open air. beneath
that blushing sky, the man, newborn,
does know the victory Of life as no
where else, and at no other time. But
he must not think to enjoy the spec
tacle unless he have earned it. If
this banquet is not spread for him, he
must not taste nay, nor even look
on Let him never dare, by any
spasm Of early rising, to usurp a
throne which is intended for other
princes, His first duty is to fill out
the hours Of sleep which he knows
he needs before he attempts the du-
ties of the day. When ne has done
so. let him arise from his bed with
the majesty and promptness Of child
Of God, who. is lord of his own move
ments. Till he has done so, let him
never tank TO share the glories or
the luxuries which are not his own.
You are q foolif you cannot find
out by a simple experiment, how this
matter is with you individually. Do
not ask even the doctor for rule. It
is to be rememberedthat people often
lie awake from hunger. Hunger viii
keep you awake, Matilda, as thor
oughly as that indigestible lobster
salad did. 1t is to be remembered
also, as DR.. Hammond says, that
most American women,a at least Of the
cities, are underfed. In the life of
of large towns, they often live on
Stops instead of food; and they do
not have opportunities for healthy
appetite. Remembering these two
things, SO often forgotten, l advise