Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-07

WASTE OF VITALITY.
A Thought or Two for MIiddIe-Aged
Ladies.
From Harper's Bazaar.
If we come to reflect upon it, in middle age
we find that the one great cause of departure
from the ideal in real life is our liability to take
cold. Almost all our pleasures are bound I'D
with this probability, for when we have taken
cold we are far too stupid either to give or enjoy
pleasure And there is no philosophy connected
with colds. Serious illnesses are full of nstruc-
ton and resignation, but who thinks of being
resigned to a cold. or of making profitable use
of it?
"Chilly" is a word that of late years has come
to be frequent and pitiaby significant one on
the lips of the middle-aged. They have terror
so keenly, and they really suffer much more than
they will allow themselves to confess
The most invigOrating and inspiriting of all
climates is 81 but if the glass fall to 500, chilly
people are miserable; they feel draughts every
where. especially on the face and very likely the
first symptoms of a neuralgia attack. At 4Oo-
which must have been the indoor winter tenn
perature Of our fOrefathers-they become irrita-
BILE and shivery, and lose all energy. If the tenn
perature fall below SOC. they take cold" and
physical.symptOms of Influenza, which neverthe-
less has not attacked them.
Let us at once admit truth; the young and
robust despse the chilly for their chi!liness for
there is such thing as physical pride, and
very unpleasant thing it is in families. These
physical Pharlsees are always recommending the
''roughng" and Hardening process, and they
would gladly revive for the poor invalid the
cold water torture OF the past.
Without being conscious of it. they are cruel.
Chilly people are not made better by the un-
sympathetic remarks OF those Of quicker blood.
There is no good in assuring them that the
cold is healthy and seasonable They feel
keeniy the half-joking imputation of ''cosset-
ing" though perhaps they are too inert and
miserable to defend themselves.
Strong walking exercise is the remedy ALWAYS
proposed. Many cannot take it. Others make
a laudable effort to follow the prescription. and
perhaps during it fecla glow of warmth to which
IN the house-thOugh the house is thoroughly
warmed-they are strangers. But half an hour
after their return home the tide Of life has re-
coded again, and they are as chilly and nervous
as before.
Nevertheless, they have passed through an ex-
perience which, if they would consider it. indi-
Gates their relief, if not their cure While out
oi-doofs they thought it necessary to cover their
feet with warm hosiery and thick boots. the
head with bonnet and veil, their hands
with gloves and fur muff, their body with some
1ur or wadded garment half an inch thick. In
short, when they went out they initiated ma
ture, and protected themselves as she does
animals.
But just as soon Us they return home thew
uncover their head and hands, replace the warm,
heavy clothing of the feet with some of a more
elegant but far colder quality. and take off alto
gether the thick warm garments worn Out-Of-
doors. bear that should follow the same
course when it went home to its snug subter-
ranean den would naturally enough die of some
pulmonary disease. Nations which are subjected
to long and severe winters have learned the
more natural and excellent way The Lap
lander keeps on his fur. the Russian his wadded
garment, the Tartar his sheep-skin, the Shet-
lander goes about his house in his wadmal. It
is only in our high state of civilization that
men and women dvest themselves Of half their
Clothing with the thermometer below zero. and
then run to the fire to warm their feeling hands
and feet
If warm clothing protects us out Of the house
IL VIII 90 the same in the house; and it is no
more ''cOddling," and much more sensible and
satisfactory, than covering over CRATE. Under
the head-dressa silk skull-eapis a most effective
protection against draughts. and would prevent
many an attack of neuralgia. silk or wash
leather vest will keep the body at more eauable
temperature than the best fire. A shawl to
most middle-aged ladies is. graceful toilette
adjunct even in the house. and is capable of re-
tanning as well as of imparting much warmth.
When very chilly after removing outside wraps
or from any other cause. try a wadded dressing
gown over the usual clothing In five minutes
the added comfort will be recognized.
The secret is, then, to keep the body at it's
proper temperature in the house by the adoption
OF sufficient warm clothing, instead Of trusting
to artlhcially heated atmosphere. No one will
be more liable to take cold out of the house be-
cause she has been warm in the house. There
Is no more sense in shivering indoors in order
TO prepare the body to endure the outdoor
climate than there would be in sleeping with too
few blankets for fear Of increasing the sense of
cold when out Of bed.
stuffy room, with air constantly heated to
75o is the most eficacious invention ever de-
ylsed for running health But it is equally true
OF constitutional strength inmifidle and old age:
and undoubtedly this Is best maintained by a
temperature Of $50 and plenty of clothing.
A very Important aid to warmth is q proper
diet. Many women who suffer continually from
sense OF chill, below the tide of healthy life,
have yet constantly at hand an abundance of
nourishing food. But they eat one day at one
nour. the next at another; they don't care what
they eat, and take anything ffippant-minded
COOK chooses to send them; they wait for some
one, when themselves hungry, out Of mere do
rom home they take tea and biscuits because il
is not worth while giving servants the trOnble
OF cooking for them alone. In all these and
many similar ways Vitality is continually lost.
and with every loss Of vitality there is cora,
ertia. 'us in-
It is great mistake that women are Taught
nom childho0d that If u meritOrious in their sex
their own convenience to that of fathers. brotho
ers, husbands, and even servants. For in the
end they break down. and are left In q state Of
III health in which all the wheels of life run slow
The trouble, in sentence, is that women Anne
no scsues-no one to remind them when they are
In 9 dranght, or come In with wet feet, no one
to get them q warm drink when chilly eu3 ,r,.,,3
OF the little Ills (Which soon become great
onesl 81 loving, Thoughtful, constant care and
All women know how hard Il 10 to Hvo the
usual life Of work and amusement in q physical
condition Of far below the requisite strength.
Nothing induces this condition like chronic
chill In It no vitality can be anlned. and very
much may be continually lost heFefore every
plan should be tried which pro- hes to raise the
temperature to q healthy standard. Try the
effect or . room heated to $50, and plenty Of
warm, constantly warm, clothing.