The Owosso times., 1881-12-02

eight hours of sound sleep every
night. Sleep is quite as essential as
food to vigorous health, and the bed
and it's surroundings should receive
as careful attention as the table. In
the 0lden time, when the habits were
more simple, the food palmer, the
houses better ventilated, and the de-
mands of social life much less than
now, the women were healthy, and
large families were the rule, as they
are now the exception. Unwhole-
some excitements were rare, and when
nightfall came, deep sleep fell upon
the household, and it remained un-
broken until the morning. The as
lpiratiOns of men and women were
limited, and there was little outside
OF the farm to worry about. Farm.
ing was more of routine business;
there were fewer crops, fewer wants,
and less money. Now the city has
pushed its iron arms out into the
country in every direction, and, in
summer, our city cousins invade every
rural region, and disturb the dreams
of rural people with their boundless
display of wealth. Our shore towns
are dotted with villas, our harbors
with yachts, and little steamers are
crowded with pleasure-seekers all
through the summer. Farm houses
in more retired towns are open to
summer bosrders; splendid turnouts,
with gay trappings, whirl along coun-
try roads; dog-carts and other odd
vehicles abound; society is penetrated
with foreign elements; picnics, festiv-
ais, cnowders, exhibitions of all sorts
are in order, six days in the week, and
on Sunday the old meeting house,
with its gay bonnets and bright colors,
looks more like flower garden than
company of devout worshippers.
What average family with Yankee
blood in their veins, is going to get
seven hours sleep under all these |
social excitements?"
Well, Doctor" inquired Mrs. |
Bunker, "the railroads are built the |
folks keep coming - what are you
going to do about it?''
"Do the best we can, Mrs. Bunker"
ontinued the doctor. "There is so |
much in society, and in our artificial |
habits, that sleep will no longer grow,
as wild plant, and take care of it.
self. We must cultivate it as we do
corn and potatoes. There is no health
without sound sleep; and thrift on
the farm, as everywhere else, depends
largely upon physical vigor. Sleep
is powerful medicine, which helps to
cure irritability of temper, peevish-
ness, uneasiness of any kind, like
nervous dyspepsia. 1t is good for a
broken spirit. We might change the
hymn little, without damage, and
spg, Earth has no sorrow that sleep
cannot cure Sleep, to be perfect,
and profound, and restorative, should
be SO prepared for, that not single
discomfort should interrupt it. We
should get ready for it just as we pre-
pare for days work-have the tools
all ready and every hindrance re-
moved"
"Well, how are you going to get it
when it don't come? ?" inquired Mrs.
Bunker.
ut will come" continued the doc
tor, "if you get ready for it, like any
other welcomed guest. The sleeping
room, if possible, should be in the
most quiet part of the house, above
the first story, we'll summed and venti.
lated, with as little furniture as pos.
sible in it-consecrated to sleep. Put
away your feather beds and comfor-
tables, as unfriendly aids to sleep,
and wood bedsteads and bed cords.
with their untimely squeaking. Have
solid iron bedsteads, with sheets and
blankets that will take care of the
perspiration, or, rather, prevent it,
and keep the body at the most COM
Portable temperature. Rule your own
house, aud have set time for going
to bed, the sooner after nine o'clock
tho better, when every member of the
household shall be ready for the
main business of the night, no matter
what is going on at the lodge, the hall,
the ball, the temperance discussion,
or the prayer-meeting,"
"What is going to become of our
duties to society" inquired Mr..
Spooner.
"A mans first duty to society is to
take care of his body" responded the
doctor. "'Thou shalt not kill, is a
part of the decalogue, and neither
man nor woman owes any duty to So
ciety that is not compatible with a
sound mind in sound body. Sleep
is the one thing needful, if we would
have either. What is a man worth
to society with shattered health? Cul.
tivate sleep and be worth something
while you are awake"
81 am glad you are so orthodox on
Sleep" interrupted Deacon Smith.
"But | am afraid, doctor. if Hooker
town adopted your views, you would
soon be without patients. 1 have fol.
lowed your theory for thirty years,
and have hardly had doctor in my
house. And sleep is just as impor-
tant for our domestic animals as il is
for men--in short, one of the best
crops raised on the farm. II has a
very important bearing on the pro-
duction of milk. Any excitement in
the herd that disturbs their quiet al
wavs 1easens the How of mill Nv