Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1883-03-01
"UIara Bellies Physician.

Clara Belle thus wrote in relation to
thin pale women "My friend Laura
found it pleasant to be thin and pale,
because she is not striking beautiful, and
in appearance was slowly fading away,
like broken lily. Thus she created an
interest that she could not otherwise
have enjoyed. Laura is O. dear, good
girl, and point out this weakness solely
because mean to make her case an IL
lustration of some things that my
readers ought to know. When She
found that her etherealness was likely
TO kill her, she made up her mind that
she was kind OF lily that preferred to
have her stalk strengthened up, so that
she might bloom awhile longer. There
fore, she consented to go with me to my
physician. He is plain-spoken old fell
low, and when l explained that Laura
was not really sick, but only drooper,
die-away, languisher. he held her
hand up between his eyes and the light
and said: There is no flesh and blood
there-only skin and bone. She lacks
vitality" Then he was informed, in
answer to his questions, that she did not
keep late hours, nor live exclusively or
caramels, nor lace tightly, ror commit
any other OF the common female sins
against health.
1.-The fact is, said the doctor, "that
tight Iacing is very rarely carried to an
Injurious extent nowadays, and late
hours by women are usually followed 10y
plenty Of sleep In the daytime. The
worst thing that fashionable women do,
as a rule, Is In changing from warm
covering 10 nakedness. You go about
all day enveloped in sealskin sacque,
winch keeps you IN a Turkish bath,
opening every pore IN your body, and
then at night you go to ball or party
with your arms and part OF your body
bare. Colds are bound to follow"
Laura protested that she never wore
decollete dresses, and the doctor might
have guessed as much by her scrawDi-
hess, if he had used any sense outside
of the medical line.
"How do you sleep?" he asked.
"Splendidly," she replied, ''nine or
ten hours without dream; but when l
awake have dreadful headache"
"What is your bedroom hke?"
/ had seen this prettiest of imaginable
nests, and L chlpped III with 9 descrip-
ton of it. Nothing could be wrong
about the ventilation, declared, for the
windows were high ana broad, and were
lett open over night. The bedstead was
carved all over In solid rosewood; the
mattress was filled with freshly curled
hair and rested on springs; the linen
was OF the whiteSt and finest; the
blankets were a gift from California,
where the softest and warmest are
made. The recollection of the down pill
lows threw me into rapturous praise OF
the undressed silk of which their cover
ings were made, and their elaborate en-
broidery. The edges were finished with
fine silk cord, carefully avoiding any
thing that would keep the cushion In
shape, for 1t was expected to yield and
expand TO every movement of the head.
They were q little more than half yard
square, and covered with Indian silk of a
crushed strawberry tint, on which were
scattered designs in neatly worked
darning stitches, taken close together,
and the
"Hold on" interposed the doctor;
''you are not writing fashion letter,
just now. Have you ever seen Laura
asleep ia this wonderfully beautiful
Led?'
"Yes. only yesterday, morning."
"Where was her nose?"
Let me see. On, yes; it was under
the blankets"
II always sleep that way. said Laura.
Il cover my head when L get into bed,
and 1t stays SO all night"
Probably that csuses all the trouble
said the doctor. You manage to ven
tilate your room properly, and then
manage to breathe vitiated air for eight
or teu hours every night. Stop it,
Sleep with your head uncovered for
week, and then let me know how you
feel"
She followed his advice, and at the
end of week felt first rate.