Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-03-07

Baltimore Sunday Telegram

DhlumOre ounday Telegram.
As we snuggle between the sheets and
lay our heads on soft pillow some cold
winters night, it sometimes seems as il
nothing but luxurious couch of this
sort could be worth calling bed Yet
a large part Of the world enjoy no such
arrangements for sleeping and could not
enjoy it il they had it. Our own ances.
tors reposed in much less luxurious fash
ion. In Eastern countries people com
monty spread a. net on the fiat roof Of
their house, and make that their bed, In
Russia the top OF the stove is the bed
etesd. In both cases the sleepers do
not uudress themselves.
In ancient Egyp,-as still in China
and Japan--wooden pi lows we're in
vogue, followed out to bit the shape Of
the head But the ancient Egyptians,
while, on account Of the heat aud yer.
min they preferred hard pillows, and are
said to have considered their comfort at
night in the invention of spring mat
tresses. They were made of slips Of
bamboo crossed over each other, and
must have been as cool, if not quite
as soft and yielding, as the webbing Of
twine stretched over frame, on which
the natives Of India rest.
The lsraeltes used sheep and goat
skins stuffed for pillows and in old times
the same for bedding, but their bedsteads
at later period, at least. must have
been very costly. The prophet Amos
speaks Of couches of ivory.
Among the Assyrians, and afterward
among the Romans, couches of gold and
silver we're possessed by the rich. The
reason for this splendor was partly that
the beds were not kept in separate
rooms but in the same room occupied
by, day, and were used Tor sitting on, aud
reclining on at meals. At Roman feasts
the guests oil reclined, and sometimes
each person occupied separate couch
The Auglo Saxon ANCESTORS we're not
at ali refined in their sleeping arrange
ments. Their beds consisted OF wooden
boxes. filed with bag Of straw. In en-
old illustrated manuscript there is pic
ture OF king going to bed. he has d
crown on his head IA very uuoouforts-
Bile night oap), but has no night dress.
Xing Henry VIII, of England, is said
to have slept upon stray bed, while his
servants lay upon rushes atreWn on the
the floor Of the royal kitchen The
kings bed is not what we should call
luxurious; but so much ceremony was
used IN going to il that seven chamber
lains were employed in undressing the
royal parsonage, turning down the bed
clothes, etc, etc OOc Indispensable
practice was TO thrust q sword into the
strav 10 see that no person was conceal
ed in il.
When feathek beds came into use in
England they were regarded as articles
OF great value, and it seems comioal to
us to end them so often mentioned in
wills. The person to whom Teather
bed was bequeathed did not usually re-
oeiye anything else; his comfort by night
was provided for, ii not his welfare by
day,
1t may be mentioned in conclusion
with beds, that strange superstition was
once common in the South Of England
in a belief that person cannot die
while lying on pigeons feathers. A dy.
ing person has often been removed from
a leather bed to the bare Aoer, under the
notion that the death struggle was pro.
longed, owing to the presence in the bed
of a few pigeon feathOss In England it
is still customary to surronn9 the bed
with curtains. Americans have adopted
the mora sensible French fashion OF al
lowing fres circulation OF air about the
sleeper