The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-13
THE AFTER-D1NNER NAP.
Abandonment of Habit That Bless
ed Mans Existence.
(From the Kansas City star.)

| OFrom the Kansas City Star.)
One Of the stitutions-institutions is
| good, all-purpose word-that should be re-
| vived maintained and, where necessary.
established in the world is the after-dinner
| nap In a savage or non-civilizsd state of
society man sleeps when he is sleepy and
eats when he is hungry. AS he becomes en-
| lightened and artificial. he limits and de-
| fines himself in such matters. He divides
| the days into mealtime and defers sleep
| until work is done, and all the places are
closed UP. His health is supposed to be
| preserved by his eating at this hour and
| that, and his sleeping at the other. L. is
| worthy of remark that, with all this Re GU
| lation insomnia and indigestion are d.
eases Of civilization.
Since the era Of regulation began the
| most natural and sensible ruie-and a, one
] time almost universal IT. this country---is
| that dividing the hours Of day by three
meals, called respectively breakfast, din
| ner, and supper-the first soon after ris-
ing in the morning. the second at noon and
the third in the evening. Breakfast natu-
rally follows sleep; dinner is the heaviest
meal and comes after a half days Toll to
| repair damages and fortify for another half
day, and supper comes when. in the even
ing in more ways than one. the swallows
homeward fly, and is the social meal Of the
day. This Is the old and proper order
which has been deviated from of late years
by placing luncheon at midday, and post
poning dinner till dark, or even later.
system for which no such philosophical
reasons can be given as for the old plan
When the world was older than it L. now
and more leisurely. and less hert on .iriv-
Ing itself into paralysis, looorcosor staxia,
paresis. hypochondria. dyspepsia. often
ing of the brain, and insanity, in - erigi-
nal plan Of life the dinner, n s.iday
meal. was followed by sleep. commonly
called nap. Natures gentle hin, to sleep
was followed, and from this the sleeper
rose strengthened ard refreshed, to COM
plete the labors of the day. The custom
was found among the larger and important
quadrupeds, and there are traces of it in
the oldest historical records.
In warm countries and among Latin peo-
Piles the midday sleep has never been
broken in upon. All the Spanish people
and their derivatives call it the siesta. 1t
is observed in all their countries with more
faithfulness than any Of the articles Of re-
ligon. After the family dinner, at which
all eat. all sleep. The merchant shuts up
his store the lawyer his office. the gambler
lays down his hand. whatever Ii is and all
Law them down to sleep. This is generally
regarded. even by the Northern people. as
a good thing in no. country and for the
dark people. 1t may be added further that
the siesta in any country where the sun
shines. and for any people. is good
thing.
The sleep allowance which the most
highly enlightened peoples crowd into the
night alone is frequently a few hours, and
that is not enough 1t is not the allow
ance suggested by nature and must be in
creased. 1t is full Of devils of blue and
other tints and Nightmares and tires
rather than refreshes. The sleep proposed
by old-fashioned nature. after good din
ner, was the real thing and should never
have been abandoned. 1t helped tired
nature in good time and pieced out as IL
were the night.
As men and women grow old and are ex-
cused from active toll and are rernanded
TO the summer porch or winter dreside. ii
is noticed that they slumber in their chairs
even In broad day. 1t is the voice OF
Mother Nature saying 10 them. sleep. old
friends, sleep on and take The rest you
should have taken long ago" When the
world has wiser grown, less furIously en-
ergetic less morbidly avaricous, less pain
fully and Enthusiastically industrious. less in
tent on success or the madhouse, it may he
that it will return to the older and simpler
ways and the MONDAY sleep. Americans
may learn its value and necessity in their
wide tropical possessions, and sunstroke,
now great American specially,
known no more. ="