Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-01-06
Irrepular Living.

Irregular Living.
1t is not too much to say that for the
majority of persons engaged in the more
advanced activities of life there is but
little chance of regular living. People
seem to be running race with Old
Father Time himself. in order to get
ahead OF him. but it is doubtful if so
much is gained by abbreviating eating
and sleeping for the Improvement of
either industrial or intellectual facilities
in the long run. A pie merchant told me
recently that she sold all his stale pies
to some restaurants at a rebate, because
the restaurant customers were always
in such hurry to get through with their
meals that it did not make any differ
ence to them whether the pies served
were fresh or stale"
Strange to say, educational inStitu-
tons lead off in arrangements for fore
ing students to eat irregularly, for they
not only have the most unusual hours
for specially desirable classes, but in
many cases change these hours every
week. Nearly everything that an adj
vanced student wants to study is taught
between II and 2 o'clock, or B and 8 p.
M, while as the season advances z
o'clock in the morning is favorite hour
for lessons. 1t is curious when one
comes to consider it, that with twenty
four hours in the day to choose from,
educators cannot hit upon any, save
those formerly devoted to mealtime.
The midday meal, which in former
years was the most honored of all OBJ
Servances, has been almost annihilated
by the encroachment of business, science,
art and religion, until it is probably
only in agricultural localities that the
noOntide rest has semblance of exist
ence. The rich employer has his lunch
sent in and snatches few hurried
IL. I'll. l. L. ~ ,paoc
taurant, while his empolyes usually go
where they can be most rapidly served
Both classes are equally anxious to save
little time from the daily routine for
some special purpose. There are youths
in stores who bolt their rapid lunch, so
for athletic sports, and girls who CRIB
their mealtime for the purpose of arrang-
ing their evening sociables, and people of
all ages and both sexes who swallow a
sandwich in five minutes, SO that they
may have ten to spend in monday
prayer meeting, while there are young
men studying to be physicians who be-
Iieve it waste of time to sustain their
bodies with properly assimilated GOOD in
the middle of the day. All these de-
pend upon an evening dinner for their
ultimate restoration and support, forget
ting that health is but short call loan
They all know that five hours between
meals-four for digestion and one for
rests the natural limit, and vet even
if they would, they could not profit by
this open secret of health. There is not
time enough to rest and refresh ones
self before or after eating. at midday,
so as the half hour, which is all that is
usually allowed, is too narrow limit
in which to enjoy comfortable meal,
they apply the greater part of the time
business allows to some purpose other
than that originally designed.
But it may well be inquired why it is
that in schools and institutions of learn
ing there should be necessity for imi-
tating the customs of commerce SO close
ly in filling every hour with work? This
pernicious practice has increased to the
proportions of serious evil. From the
public schools to the university, the regu-
lar course of studies embraces subjects
which would require more than the aver
age life of man to become even letter
perfect in The art schools are even
more severe in their requirements, while
as for music, the theosophists are proba-
bly, right in maintaining that man must
live three or four times to get good
knowledge of it.
Everybody sympathizes with aspira-
tions. OF course it is a fine thing to
know all about everything, but it may
he permitted to remark that with all the
learning in the world mans knowledge
is not practical if he don't know when to
eat his dinner. The saddest result of
neglect of this kind of knowledge is that
the evils it perpetrates multiply in
geometrical proportion. If a person
omits eating one. dinner, he deprives
himself of the strength to work for an
other Also, when it is observed that he
will go without his dinner one day, the
united opinion of society seems to be that
he can do without it for many other
days.
The Importance of food is we'll illus
frof Tod hxyf no 0finn of tho cfla n.
ship companies with their fremen. These
firemen do the hardest manual labor it
is possible to conceive of. in an atmo-
sphere almost insupportable, yet they
do not receive high wages, but an abund-
ant table is kept constantly spread for
them day and night. at which they can
restore their strength, and there is no
difficulty in getting men for the work.
A question which touches every lndl-
vidual closely is whether the essentials
of health, comfort and prosperity are
too often sacrificed for the shadow of
some prospective advantage? These
are elemental necessities which people
often deny themselves for the sake of
mere accessories. and then wonder why
they always feel cross
Physical Culture at Women's Colleges.
At Vassar college gymnastic exercise
is held in high esteem. This is shown by
tic ldCI IIldl dl1 SLUuculS are ISqullCA "
devote three hours week to gymnasium
practice throughout the entire course,
instead of during the freshmen and
sophomore years only, as in most Of the
other colleges
The gymnasium itself is fine one,
and improvements are continually being
added. One of the most recent is the
large swimming tank, which was hailed
with intense delight by all the girls.
Lessons in swimming are given i'll con-
nection with the gymnasium work, and,
aside from the benefit derived from them
as an exercise, they should prove of the
greatest value in spreading wider knowl-
edge of an art which everyone ought to
understand. 1t is very easy to learn to
swim, and one is often in situations
where the ability to do so would be a
safeguard against many dangers.
Although Vassar has always advocated
and maintained regular exercise in the
gymnasium. she has not been so eager
as many of her sister colleges to engage
in the outdoor sports which are now
making their way everywhere BY this
is not meant that the students rs in