Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-09-02
THE REST SEASON.
Hint for Heusekeepers About Mid
summer.

summer.
The season of heat and midsummer
the housekeeper should be warned
is a season when all living creatures
rest somewhat from their work. Even
the birds in the fields cease their song
during the heated period and all an
imals seem to relax their efforts-eyen
in their search for daily food. Wan
derers in woodland ways near sunset
will catch many delightful glimpses of
their friends in fur and feathers at this
time which they would never see dur
ing midday walk. 1t is at this hour
the pretty raccoon ventures out with
her furry babies or the clownishly awk-
ward woodchuck goes forth with no
fear of prowling dogs. The hermit
thrush, the sweetest songster of our
groves, sings at sunrise and sunset, but
ceases her songs altogether in midsum-
mer. The thrush is the mayis of old
English ballads. Gil Monice's song
was:
Like the mavis on the bush.
And CART the valleys ring.
Even our domestic animals rest during
the heat of the day and exercise them
selves in pursuance of food in the cool
of the morning and evening.
These dumb animals set us an excel
lent example. No woman, however
strong in health, can afford to work
continuously through the heat of the
day. Every woman should always take
a systematic midday rest. Even the
strong laborer in the field finds his
MONDAY nap as essential as his noon
day meal. This meal is frequently quite
a light one, compared with the hearty
supper" which he enjoys when his work
is over. s'The woman who riseth while
it is yet night" should take rest in
the heat of the day, which will COM
pensate for her loss of sleep. She can
not afford to burn the midnight oil in
summer as she can IN winter, when all
living creatures can work more vigor-
ously. This is because the system is
kept at higher tone in winter than in
summer. The practical experiment of
sending energetic people to hot lands
has been too frequently tried to ad-
init of any doubt of the result. Vigor-
Gus and energetic men senS from a
northern land to the tropics in a few
months seem to change their nature
and become languorous lovers of ease.
The legend of the lotus eaters was not
entirely a fable. The whole land of
the tropics seems filed with a subtle
poison which weakens the energies,
and against which probably it would
be unsafe to contend. The same state
of energies weakened by heat makes it
mistake for women to attempt by
sheer force of will to work in summer
as they do in winter. Fortunately hay
ing is usually over before July, our
| hottest month, and the principal other
harvests are gathered later in the year
so even farmers wives, who are among
our hardest summer workers, have a
chance to take a vacatiea at the hot
test season of the year. The canning
and various preserving, which keeps
them from this necessary relaxation
had better be dispensed with. Nc
worker needs a summer rest more thar
the farmers wife. There are now many
delightful places on the Chautauqua
| plan for such rest. Here few weeks
outing may be combined with an attrac
tive lecture course on various topics
which furnish plenty of food fol
thought during the long winter even
ings to come. A vacation in winter is
not half as valuable to any worker as
one in summer.-N. Y. Tribune.