Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-09-04
Gail Hamilton on Sleep.

The one requisite to good health good
! looks, sweet temper, prosperity in bust
ness, and general success in life, is sleep.
| do not know whether we shall be able
as Matthew Arnold says, to - hit off hap
PLY" with Solomon. 1t is, perhaps, not
quite easy to tell exactly what he had in
his mind but if he meant that people
should try to cut down their sleep to the
smallest possible allowance, it may be
supertluous, but it is certainly irresistible
to remark that | do not agree with him
But lie probably did not mean that, He
certainly would not be likely to diffe,
| from me.
The necessity of sleep, it may be ad
mitted, is a disagreeable necessity. TIC
turn aside from all the pleasures Of life
! from the sweet consciousness of existence
to give over thought and love and mem
DRY and hope-all plans and pursuits
and go down into forgetfulness or uncon
sciOusness, is, Or seems 10 be, an unspeak
able loss. 1t is a death, temporary, bot
| imp9rious and ever recurring. Yet it is
so universal, so gradual, so natural, that
we yield to it not only without dread, but
with delight In the silent splendor OF
star-lit nights, which seem to put us OF a
brotherly footing with the whole uni
verse, in the blackness of nights that
| know no star, when we seem to be stand
| ing alone in the solitute of eternity, life
| is fascinating, and we begrudge moment
lost; but even then, without will, against
viii, the heavy eyelids droop, and, all IN
| hindered, the sly soul slips away into
some remote recess OF the brain to lie in
| ambush for the rising dawn and the stroG 9
new world
five could have been made to get aloa 9
without sleep, | should like it better, bat
since sleep we must, why should we quar-
rel with fate? Our ancestors, stauneh
men in many regards, have yet done the
world harm by their inascriminate abuse
Of sleep One would think, to read some
| books, that slumber was an invention OF
| the evil one, to be repressed and snubbe3
| continually On the contrary, sleep
comes nearer being panacea than any
pill or potion ever cOncOcted. We do,
| indeed, Weld to the truth of history so fan
as to tell children of beaEty-sleep, and bid
thea 90 to bed early; but we forget all
| about it in the morning, and stimulate
them to early rising. Indeed, ignorance
and folly sometimes 90 so far as to awaken
children for the purpose Of getting them
up, which is Just not murder in the first
degree Law it down as a rule of family
lite that nobody is to be walked by eXter-
nal means. There may be extraordinary
circumstances which justify a violation of
this rule. If the house is on fire, and
hand and steam engines fail to extin-
guish the flames, sleepers must be
aroused; and even then begin with those
nearest the fire, and bestir others only as
the danger advances. / suppose it is alb
solutely certain that when a man has
slept long enough he will wake up of his
own accord.
The time at which sleep is taken is of
less account than the amount of sleep. If
it can be had in darkness, doubtless that
is best; but sleep by daylight is good
thing toe Some people take credit to
themselves for accomplishing much be
fore breakfast, but after breakfast you are
constantly finding them mapping on the
sofa or nodding in the Longing char.
What superior virtue is there in sleeping
by installment to sleeping In the lump?
These people are lazy because they take
nap after MONDAY dinner; but the
efficiency of their waking hours is sui
ticient justification for their midday re-
pose. Sleep any where and every where
is good. Ministers complain if here and
there member of their congregation
grows drowsy but as | look around and
see tie Woodworking men and woman,
all clean and fresh and smooth in their
Sunday suits, sheltered from sun, released
from toll, and soothed by the pleasant
voice of well-beloved pastor into a
slightly unsteady but richly earned re-
pose. I bless them unaware. Not the
least of the many benefits wrought us by
the clergy is the sweet sOmnolence which
so gently and benignly broods over
weary and happy congregation on sultry
Sunday afternoon. REORGANIZATION and
free-will may be hard to reconcile; moral
and natural responsibility may be difficult
of discrimination; the bearing of election
on duty is not easy to see; but no man
can 90 into an airy, pleasant church, sit
down in peace among his friends and
neighbors, and fall softly asleep to the
sound of holy words from Eea ,, holy lips, with
out great gain to the lie that now Is, ana
| believe and trust, with no loss to that
which is to come.
As for Napoleon and the others who are
brandished over US as having wrought
their great deeds on four hours sleep, in
the first Mace do not believe word Of