Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-06-19
Reds and BedcIOthes.

The kind of bed On which the body should
rest Is question on which there Is extreme
own bed to 60 to sleep elsewhere, in hotel or
in The house Of a friend, it is almost certain we
shall find bed differing from that TO which we
ale accustomed. We may find bed OF down
SO soft that to drop into 1t is like dropping into
light dough; we may find soft feather bed, or
SOFT mattress, or spring mattress, mode
hard as the plank bed sometimes found ia
prisons. These differences are determined by
the taste Of the owner OF the bed. without much
reference to principle, or to the nkings OF any
factory state of things. There ought to be
some principle for guidance in trial so solemn
as that which settles the mode In which our
bodies shall rest for third of our mortal ex-
isteDce.
1t is hard to fix on definite principles, but
there Is one principle, at any rate, which may
be relied on, and which, when it Is understood.
goes long way toward solving the question OF
the best kind OF bed for all Sleeper5. The prln-
ciple is that the bed, whatever 1t be made OF,
should be so flexible, If the term may be used,
equally. 1t ought to adapt itself to the outline
of the hody in whatever position the body may
be placed. The very hard mattress which
Yields nothh MA ana wne9 makes the noay rest
at cnce excluded from use by this principle. and
no imposition ought TO be excluded more rigor-
Ously. On the other hand, the bed that is SO
soft that the body Is enyeioped in 1t, though 1t
may be very luxurious, Is too oppressive, hot
ana enfeebuBg; it keeps up regular fever,
which can not rail to exhaust both physical and
mental energies, and at the same time it really
does not adapt itself perfectly to the outline of
the body.
The best kind Of bed, taking everything into
consideration, is one OF two kinds. A fairly soft
feather bed laid upon soft horse hair mat
tress, or thin mattress laid upon one OF the
elastic steel-spring beds which have lately been
so ingeniously constructed OF small connected
springs that yield In wave-like manner to
every motion. 1t is useless to try to write out
the time honored old feather-b bed and mattress,
but the new steei-spring bed is likely to be the
bed of the future. 1t fulfillS every intention or
fexibil1ty; 1t Is durable; 1t goes with the bed
stead. as an actual part OF 1t, and 1t can never
be q nest or receptacle OF contagion or i'm
purity.
On the subject of bed-clothes, the points that
have most to be enforced are that heavy bed
clothing is always mistake and that weight
In no uue sense means warmth. the light down
general use are the greatest improvements that
have been made, In our time, in regard to bed
clothes. One OF these quilts takes well the
place OF two blankets, and they cause much less
fatigue from weight than layer upon layer OF
blanket covering.
AS to the actual quantity of clothes which
should be on the sleeper, no rule OF numbers or
quantities can be laid down, because different
people require such different amounts. Never
theless, there Is one very good practice which
every person can learn to apply. 1t should be
the rule to learn SO to adapt the clothing that
the body isnever cold and never hot while under
the clothes. The first rule Is usually followed,
and need not be dwelt on; the last is too COM
monty broken. 1t is practice too easily &C
Quired to sleep under so much clothing that the
body becomes excessively heated, feverishly
heated. This condition gives rise to exhaustion,
to disturbing dreams, to headache, dyspepsia,
and to constipation. 1t Is so injurious that 1t Is
better to sleep with too little than with too
much clothing over the body.