Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1888-12-22
on GOING TO seo.
How to % the Mssnins Star PsspsetS.
Our Gaslieht Clvilisa&iou.

How to . the NsEnins Star PsspsetS.
Our Gaslight Clvtlisatioa.
How often do We hear somebody say 81
had to get up early this morning, and I
Wondered why We don't always do It'll"
But the chances ne It was Q very made.
auate experience. There was some inva.
lid to be tended or some owl train to be
caught. Taken deliberately, and provided
for beforehand BY . full nights sfeep, the
wonder why We do not always do It would
be vastly increased. Why We do not. how.
ever. is plain enough. It Is because we
cannot a6ord to burn our candle at both
ends. EARLY to bed and early to rise"
the whole prescription reads. Il does not
do to take half Oft alone. II We were to
see tho morning star properly. the eve.
ming stsr must draw ON our night can
with its own.
The dawn then b protected from the
throng Of ~sacrilegious si9htseers bv .
great barrier. That barrier IL the dia.
Guilty Of going to bed. Our civilization
has become . gasl1ght civilization. We
try to turn night Into day, and only sue.
ceeded In turning night wrong side out:
getting the harsh and wiry side that rasps
the faded nerves, In place Of the gentle
touches Of 'the welcome, the fhrice
prayed for mantle Of peaceful dreams.
For my part, I should be glad IL I could
60 back and cut away from nv life All
that ever occurred in It beyond early bed
time. as the cook goes round . pie plate
and shears of the outlying dough. Mere
ragged and formlsss shreds Of existence
these gaslight hours have been, contain.
Ing, on the whole, far more evil than
good; far more yAWns and the dreadful
pangs OF yawns suppressed than refresh.
ing eye beams aud voices.
Then there is another thing: Could not
the act Of going to bed be made, from
childhood up. . less depressing operation
III one daily torture Of my own other.
wise kindly handled childhood was the
going to bed In the dark. I hated the
dark. and have always hated It. Why
could not some softly shaded light have
been left for me to 60 to sleep by, and
then withdrawn. instead Of crashing down
on my wide awake eyes that horrible club
OF blacknessf Or how much the better to
have "cuddled down" In the still family
glmmering twilight and Let the slowly
coming starlight draw the child to sleepf.
ness and softly kiss his eyelids DOWN.
n why must one assume . garb for
the night that even the child feels to be
rtdiculously unsuitables To take of ones
warm and comfortably fitting garments,
and barely cover the shrinking pudency
Of the limbs with some brief apology Of
Mapping tnadequateness-it Is an insult to
the angel of sleep. They do this better,
I am told, IN Japan. There the man has
Q night suit Of entire and comedy gar
ments. He does not unclothe and then
half clothe himself, and sneak in mortified
helplessness underneath q weight Of vein
COMPRISING sheets and blankets and un.
comfortable "comfortables," squeezing
him out as II he had covered himself with
the cellar door. He lies down in his com.
plete warm suit. and throws over him
some light affair Of gossamer silk. 1t
only needs Q sudden cry Of fire" in the
house to make US realize the preposterous
condition we are every one Of us in.
The time OF going to bed ought in some
way to be made the ~pleasantest and most
decorous. and most digni6ed. even-if you
iike-the most picturesque. and certainly
the most comfortable hour Of tho whole
twonty-tour: Then 1t would need no pc.
lite euphemism Of retiring" to veil Its
horrors. Then the child would no longer
hold back from It. IS II he were being
thrust into . hideous cave of darkness,
to be seized BY a! the Nightmares Of
dreamdom. And then, best Of. all, We
should be ready to rise at the whistle OF
the first chirping bird, perfectly rested,
thoroughly refreshed. with the brain vocal
only with light echoes Of tho wholesome
day before. instead Of still jangling with
the cultured rumpus Of Q social evening
OF IN evening OF amusement" or the un,
canny. fevered visions which are only suct
evenings gone to seed.-"Contributors
| Club" In Tha Atlantic.