Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-01-30
md cood food. AND thew were not over

and good food, anG they were not over
stimulated in any direction; but they
had tempers of such dimensions that
the ample backyard in which they spent
much of their waking time was often
more like a cage of vigorous hyenas.
Fond of one another, %rescnting tiercely
any injustice or presumption from
other children, they squabbled from
morning till night, chronic ill-temper
settling down on the bright faces, and
lurking in the soft hazel eyes they had
inherited from the father. The baby
alone seemed equahlc and tolerably
mild; but Mabel and Bess, the seven
and nine year old girls, and Harry and
Frank, the Younger boys, each pair
sleeping togetherin ~thcordinary double
bed, qnarrcled at least once an hour,
and often went to sleep worn out
with passionate crying: The mother
argued and punished. plead and pun
ished again, half desperate at times
over the state of things. and eNperi-
menting in every way with food, tenn
perature and exercise, to bring them
into better condition.
II don't know what it MEANS" she
walled one day. They are lovely ba-
bies. Look at their eyes when they are
good, sweet and quiet as little cherubs,
and yet they behave like little demons.
There's nobody on either side of the
house with such dispositions, and they
wear on one another and on me until l
want to die and take them with, me.''
1t was a puzzle, solved II year later in
a fashion so simple that the mother
walls again over the time lost. There
was u cure; not instantaneous by any
means, but a cure, and the childNen ar,
now as harmonious Il group as arc often
to be found.
You want to know how / did it,"
she said, one day in Il recent visit. 81
didn't do it at all. 1t was single beds.
Bess and Mabel slept together. you
know, and ] had incessant trouble try.
ing to keep Mabel warm enough and
Bess cool enough. Bess could not bear
to be touched and Mabel could not bear
not to be. No matter how Bess fought
her of, the moment sleep came Mabel
rolled over and had her arms around
her. ! put a bar between, but it made
little difference. 1t was precisely the
same case with the two boys. One day,
it came to me all at once, as ] looked
at the babytuiet and comfortable iu
his crib, these children need separate
beds. had thought and talked often
enough Of the influence of people on
one another, but never dreamed of APP
plying it to them. what q fool you
have becn!' ] said to myself. Here they
are, all with marked Municipalities and
with the most differing physicalc harac-
teristics. Mabel draws on Boss and ex-
hausts hernervousforc every night and
Harry does the same. Twill see if it
can't be mended.' We arc not over
burdened with money, and l had to
think and plan before J. could change
the big double beds for single ones. 1
had the mattresses made over, and
succeeded in making an exchange with
an amiable old furniture dealcr. The
children were delighted the day the
four pretty single beds were set up. In
a week | saw q difference, and in a
month it was so marked that every
one noticed it. Each one had freedom,
just the amount OF covering required,
and slept quietly and almost dream
lessly. Not Il 0 in my housc.save
the spare room has anything now but a
single bed, and the gain has been for
every n of us. 1t makes no more, or
very little more work. Sheets are
smaller and more easily washed, and if
!. doubles the wear | should still know
the gain to be i~ncalculable. Half the
ill-temper of the world comes from the
electrical changes undergone by the
ncrvou system where couples sleep
night after night under the same bed
clothing, for life is a system of giving
and taking in more ways than one, and
l want you who preach the things that
make for peace to preach this also"
l had come to the same faith and did
not need the e%Xhortation, but there are
many who do and who would find the
difference immense We're they once will
ling to try the experiment. The Scien-
Mfc american some time ago made a
forciblc plea for the adoption OF the
habit, WHITING:
"There is nothing that will moro de-
range the nervous system OF u person
who is eliminative i'll nervous forcethan
to lie all night in bed with another per-
son who is absorbent in nervous force.
The absorber will go to sleep and rest
all night, while the climinator will be
tumbling and tossing. restless and nerv-
Gus, and wake up in the morning fret
full, peevish. fault-finding and dis
couraged. No two persons. no matter
who they are, should habitually sleep
together. One will thrive and the 9TH
or will LOSE
Even for the most phlcgmatic this
has proved itself true, and the matter
demands the consideration not only of
mothers, but of all who desire the best
and most efficient lite.-Congregatiom-
alist.
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