Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-14
SOME RUSTIC MUSINGS.
Bill Arp on Sleep and Various Other
Subjects.
Home and Earm.

hume ana arm.
BLESSINGS on the man that invented
Sleep" How happily nature has adapted
all her blessings to our wants. 1t takes
just about day for us to get tired and
feel the need of rest. sob, bed, delicious
bedl' said Tom Hood; but man knows
but little of the sweet comfort and refresh
ment of sleep unless he is really tired
with an honest days work.
l always feel sorry for a man or
woman who says, 81 couldn't sleep last
night; L got to thinking, and 1 was ner-
vOus and l couldn't Sleep" There is
something wrong about that; it is not ac-
cording to nature. / am thankful every
day that l can sleep, for sleep is natures
sweet restorer. Sleep is my salvation,
and l am still more thankful that my wife
can sleep. The good woman has a blessed
time now in her declining years. |
do not forget the weary hours
she has passed in worrying with a
dozen children by day and by night, but
that is all over now. The youngest is ten
years old, and now the good mother NAV
rest. No more paregOric or suit tea, or
catnip; no more singing, "Hush my dear,
lie still and slumber," no more walking
the floor in our night-gOWn. Well, there
is an occasional episode when the little
chaps have eat too many grapes or green
apples, but they are decently scolded, or
we mix up their medicine and it is soon
over, and we go to bed again.
/ get up soon in the morning. for nv
early habits stick to me. My good father
made me TO rise with the sun, and | rise
with it now. But my wife loves her morn
ing rest. Why shouldn't she? For years
and years it was the only rest she got
that was sweet and undisturbed. | get
up early, for l can't sleep after the morn
ing light creeps in at the window, and so
l tiptOe around, and make the boys do the
same, until it is time to ring the breakfast
bell. But do enjoy the morning. 1t is
the best time of the day for
mated, and am ready for another day.
begin early to lay my plans for days
work and days pleasure, for there is
pleasure in work If a man will find it. |
like to see it mixed. l like to 60 out to
the field or in the garden with my children
and work awhile, and then take frolic
with them for rest. 1t is a glorious de-
light to have the little fellows tagging
along after me over the farm and asking
a thousand curious questions, and | al
ways feel like patriarch and q man of
wisdom as l answer them and explain.
They go to school to me-nOt in books
all the time, but in nature and in talk
and | am well paid for my instruction,
for they are my companions and my COM
fort. get my children up early, for
believe in Ben Franklin's maxim:
"Early to bed and early to rise"
The morning air is the most invigOrat-
ing and healthful. / am sorry for those
city people who never see the morning
sun as it rises like an orb of glory, and
brings life and gladness to the world.
Dame Nature has been kind to our peo-
pie this year. We made a splendid crop
fbn
is all in a strut, for it has never suffered
day for rain. Wheat is down to 70 cents
a bushel, which is all right. / never COM |
plain at low prices for the necessaries of !
life, for the poor need cheap bread, and |
there are more poor folks than rich ones. |
1t makes but little difference with us, for
when our farm products are cheap every
thing is cheap that we have to buy. My
darkies charge me 80 cents cord for cut
ting and splitting my winters wood, but
they agree to take half bushel Of wheat
instead of the money. So it is all the same
to me. Money may 90 up or may 90 down,
but a bushel of wheat remains the same,
and will give poor man the same amount
of bread.
There is some sweet spice to every
d avs work in the country, something to
brighten the passing hours and make the
children happy. The watermelOns are
ripe now, and the cantaloupes, and the
grapes, and the peaches. By-and-by the
walnuts and hickory nuts, and maypops,
and black haws will come in. cartridges
and young squirrels will soon give sport
to the boys, and put a good dinner in the
pot. Already the little chaps are grab
bling for sweet potatoes. The popcorn
is growing for the long winter nights.
Every season has its good things
which make the reward of labor and toll,
for nothing is half so good unless we
work for it. A dollar earned is worth two
dollars given to us. Let every man make
his own patrimOny and be father to
himself, and then if any more drops into
his pocket it is all right, and he will know
how to use it and enjoy it. But it Won't
do for a man to run himself to deaCh after
money. Let him go slow and mix a little
pleasure and recreation with its pursuit.
Not long ago went to hear revival
preacher-a sort of Lorenzo DoW-and he
picked out a lot of young men standing
away back under tree, and he preached
at them with vengeance. Said he,
"YOung men | have been watching you
and praying for you for four days, and
you wont come nigh the altar. Now, it
you have made up your minds to go to
hell want to give you some parting adj
vice. DON'T go galloping to hell--You
will get there soon enough. Take 1t leis-
ureIy, go IN pace OF d Walk, anu every
now and then stop and rest under the
shade of tree" Well, l suppose that
a preacher could talk that way, but it
sounded rather peculiar, to say the least
of it. Though the idea is a good one, and
never see a man working himself to
death for money but what l think of what
that preacher said.
know a man who worked hard for
twenty years to make money, and he made
it, and never stopped to rest under the
shade of a tree, land now he is in the lunatic
asylum from overwork, and his children
are spending his money about as fast as
he made it. A man had better become
acquainted with his children in this world
for fear he wont know them in the next,
and let them learn to love him and respect
him. Mingle with them, read to them,
tell them stories, go to mill with them,
play drafts with them and work with
them, and when he gets old they will COM
fort him and take care of him. 1t is a
pitiful sight to see a man lonesome and
deserted in his old age.
/
Swedish Railway Travel.
GAS vUa vvOund round q valley - saws q