Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1878-08-01
Educational Column.
BY j. +. L.
COMFORT IN DOG-DAYS.

Il
esting question how to live-to live
so that we may find life tolerable in
a world of dust and heat. When
the mercury gets up among the nine
ties, one needs to play the philosopher
to keep from grumbling. If every
body could lie down in a darkened
room, with q palm-leaf fan in hand
and a pitcher Of ice-cool lemonade
within easy reach-lie thus through
the heat Of the day, with nothing to
do except, possibly, to turn the pages
OF book, and dream Of Alaska-if
everybody could do this, how delight
full would it bel But everybody can
not do it. There is work to be done
in July and August, as well as in De-
cember and January, and the hewers OF
wood and drawers of water must con-
tinue to hew and draw, whatever the
temperature. To be sure, there Is
small class of mankind which can az
ford to array itself in purple and fine
linen, and to which the scorching
suns of summer bring no terror, but
it is only small class.
Admitting what must be admitted,
that the months OF July and August
are the most trying months in the
year; that the death list then Is great
est; that disease is most prevalent.
Admitting these things, it behooves
all sensible persons to consider how
they may live through this critical
period so as to escape illness, and re-
tain their energies less limp than
their linen. Perhaps the first and
best rule to be laid down is that Of
temperance. This applies, let it be
remembered, not only to Intoxicating
liquors, but to the indulgence Of any
appetite. We need to be temperate
in drinking, in eating, in working and
in thinking. The glutton courts dis
ease as surely as the drunkard; and
the man who overstrains his faculties
in these sweltering days may expect
to pay a severe penalty. Allied to
temperance, and forming in fact a
part Of it, is regularity. We ought to
divide the twenty-fours in the day
into three equal parts-eight for
work, eight for sleep, and eight for
recreation. If one is forced to work
more than eight hours out OF the day,
let him draw on his time for recrea-
ton, but not on the hours for sleep.
We gain nothing in the end by cheat
ing nature. If we overtax our ener-
gies to-day, the morrow will present
heavy bill OF damages, the payment
OF which cannot be escaped. Sound
sleep does moro towards preserving
health than all the bitters that can be
drunk in lifetime. A third direc-
ton to be laid down for the day, is
the taking OF a proper amount OF
physical exercise. 1t is a mistake to
assume tfat, because the muscles be-
come lax and the energies flag in hot
weather, the muscles and energies
should be permitted to remain stag
nant. All of US cannot become ath-
letes, to. run races, or pull an oar, or
play game at ball, but we may all
find enough wholesome exercise In
walking or working. Even in dog
days the system is stimulated and
sleep promoted by a proper use Of
the body. There are other virtues
which may be practiced with advan-
tage in midsummer, but we are in
clined to believe that man who will
live regularly and temporarily, pay
ing due attention TO outdoor exercise
and to his food, will find life not only
eLdurable but pleasant. Most peo
pie pick flaws with the weather at
all seasons Of the year. The winter
is too cold, spring is too wet, sum-
mer is too hot, and the autumn is too
chilly. July and August, however,
are The months when complaint be
comes most general. Aud yet the
fanlt is not altogether in the weather.
The man who eats stale cucumbe-s
and unripe fruit, aud suffers from an
attack of the cholera morbns has no
right to gcumble because Of he heat.
The young lady who pays the penalty
OF midnight ices with a morning
headache, ought never blame the
weather. And would it not be well,
sometimes, to think Of the blessings
as we'll as the evils OF dog-days? As
suredlv there are some pleasant fea
lures about this season of midsum
mer. We have flowers and fruits,
lingering twilights and cooling show
ers, glorious sunrise, verdaut land
scapes, and the rich promise OF au
tumn's bounty. And then, too, in tn.
dog days there are no cold feet, NJ
snow blockades. Pray, how would
our beshful young men ever muster
courage 10 court sweet sixteen were
there no summer nights. no moon
light strolls, no linSerings at the
gate? Sentiment would freeze in
their breasts il the temperature about
them were always wintry. We are
painfully practical people at best, and
without the summers sun to thaw US
out we should loose what little OF
poetry We possess and become no
haf<o~ khop <ho Eo-,,sxoa.-