Huntsville gazette., 1885-08-01
BABY'S DAY-NAP.


The Restorer. Sleep, Essential for the
Repair Of Wasted Tissues and Teeming
Brain.
Our baby is thrust, without appeal to
his volition, into world which, for
the first five years of his life, is little
else than vast picture gallery. We
have saying that he takes in knowl-
edge at the pores, leaving out of sight
the important consideration that this
absorption is an intellectual process
made up of the three stages OF effort.
acquisition and reaction. he is all
se,lsorium. In two years, or in three
at the farthest he masters the vernacu-
lar of the foreign land into which he
has come; becomes familiar with the
names and uses of hundreds OF artl-
cles; makes acquaintance with the per-
sons and dispositions OF strange peo-
ple whom at first he understands as
little as they do him; learns. to walk,
run and play-and goes through every
one of these processes with his whole
heart, soul and might
From the rapid review Of Baby s tasks
and his style of performing them. we
return enlightened into solicitude. to
the phrase, 'repair and rapid groacth. "
For wasted tissues and restless, teem-
ing brain, Nature offers the restorer
sleep.
1t is not only because Baby is young
and tender that he gets tired and cross
before his guardians have begun to
warm to the work of the day. He is
the busiest member of the domestic
force Comparing his strength with
yours, you may reckon that you would
have paced ten or twelve miles of floor,
composed and delivered an oration
with due regard to foreign idioms) on
current events, and examined critically
two or three hundred pictures, besides
being opposed in dozen designs and
methods, in the four hours that separate
breakfast time from his midday nap.
The need of the restorer is, you perceive,
imminent. The rule for securing it is
plain: Fix an hour for baby's s'esta,
and allow nothing to interfere with 1T.
AS it approaches take him upon
your lap and prepare him for it as if
night had come; as indeed it has u tho
little Mercury whose day is bright and
short He may be unwilling, even re-
calcitrant. Take contumacy as addl-
tonal evidence that sleep is impera-
lively demanded. Remove his clothing,
including his shoes and stockings, and,
in cold weather, array him in loose
flannel gown; in summer IN one OF
linen or cotton. Neither child or adult
ought to lie down to sleep with close
band or bodice encasing lungs,
stomach or limbs. Sponge baby's
hands and face with tepid water, and
do not give him a heavy meal that
would tax the digestive powers. Lay
him in crib or cradle in darkened
room, quiet room, as far withdrawn as
may be from all disturbances. Ii still
ness can not be had short of the top
most story of the house, carry him up
to that. Were he i'll, you would grudge
no pains that promised to buy for him
respite from suffering. Half the care
you would, in such case, account a
privilege, will insure dreamless slumber
that will relax the tense nerves and
soothe the heated brain as with heav-
enly dews. Interdict all entrance to
the chamber while the blessed work
goes on. No other member of the
family will suffer wrong in mind, body.
or estate, if slamming of doors and
sudden shouts in the vicinity OF the
sleeper be positively forbidden. Baby
is being made over as good as new.
The day is approaching, all too rapidly,
when you can not compass this end for
the growing boy-the grown man.
Punctuality on this head is
of incalculable moment, if we pause to
forecast the consequences of the failure
to supply material to meet ''repair and
rapid growth The longer nap Of to-
morrow does not atone for the loss OF
to-day. y.-Marion Harlaad, IN Babyhood.