Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1900-02-16

as in drawers, W men l WISH 10 inter-
rupt one train Of thought, close the
drawer which contains that subject aud
open that which contains another.
They do not mix together or inoonveni-
ence me. have never been kept awake
by an involuntary preoccupatioE of
mind. When wish for repose, | shut
up all the drawers, and am asleep.
have always slept when | wanted rest
and almost at will" But | think in
most cases we feel that sleep is not the
result of a resolution. but direct GIFT
from God. You cannot purchase il. A
great French tnancier cried out: "Alas!
Why is there no sleep TO be sold?"
Do not take this divine gift as mat
ter of course. Your seven or eight
hours OF heuithful Inconsistencies is
blessing worthy OF continuous and
emphatic recognition. Praise the Lord
for 365 resurrectiuns in IA yearl Arli.
fetal slumber can be made up by the
| apothecarles, but natural sleep is a
balm, a panacea, a cathoIicon that no
one but God can mix. With it he
bathes your eyes and brain and nerve
and bone. II is soft robe woven in
Heaven. with which He wraps your
body, mind and soul. The more scien.
lists explore this mystery OF sleep the
more profound 1t seems. God tells us
many things, but that is a secret lie
keeps to Himself. We philosophize and
guess about this phenomenon, but will
never know just what sleep is until
we are told about it when we get
through the last sleep. Thank God
morning, noon and night for this
strange quietude. this refreshing dis
missal. this recuperating absence, this
Reinforcement OF energies, this mighty
benediction.
Consider among the worst crimes
the robbery OF ourselves or others OF
the mercy of slumDer. Much ruinous
doctrine has been incucated on this
subject. Thomas Moore guve poor ad-
vice when he said: The best way TO
lengthen our days is TO steal few
hours from the night" We are told
that, though they did their work at
night, Copernicus lived 10 be - years
OF age and Galilei 7Syears and Herschel
"a years. Yes, but the reason was they
were all star hunters, and the only time
for hunting stars is at night. Prob
ably they slept by day. The night was
made for slumber. The worst lamp a
student can have is the midnight
lamp" Lord Brougham never passed
more than four hours of the night abed,
and Justinian. after one hour of sleep,
would rise from his couch. But you are
neither Justinian nor Lord
Brougham. lie: not the absurd apothe-
osis of early rising induce you 10 the al b.
breviation of sleep. Get up when you
are slept out, unless circumstances
compel otherwise. Have ne alarm clock
making its nerve-tearing racket at four
O'Clock in the morning. unless special
reasons demand the forsaking of your
pillow at that hour. Most of the the
ories about early rising we inherited
from times when people retired at eight
or nine o'clock in the evening. Such
early retirement is impossible in our
own times for those who are taking
part in the great activities Of life
There is no virtue in the mere act OF
early rising. 1t all depends upon wha,
you do after you get up. 1t would be
better for the world il some people
never wakened at all.
But most Americans do not get sleep
enough. The sin of late retiring is one
most widespread and ruinous. Wha,
Is much needed is that in all our cities
those who are leaders in social life
turn back the hour of drawing-roon
assemblage from ten and eleven tc
eight or half-past seven, so that The
guests al ten or half-past ten may mee'
sleep al the right hour in their owl
dormitories. Two or three soca
: heroines could do that in all the town.
and cities. Thousands of men and won
en- are slain each year by late hours
Five years is more than the averag,
of endurance. The vitality of men ant
women is depleted, and they 90 int
chronic ailments, If they DO not di
of dyspepsia or consumption or nervous
prostration, and the beauty goes ou
e OF the cheek beyond all restoration o
cosmetics. Late retiring is the mothe
, of premature wrinkles. Lack of sleel
e assassinates social life. A reformation
! is needed, and If the customs of tn
world could be changed in this matte
. and the curtains of social life could b.
rung down at reasonable hour of tn
worlds longevity.
J All those ought TO be comforted VIII
: by overwork in right directions hav
come TO insomnia. In all occupation
and professions there are times whe
! a special draft is made upon the nervou
e energy. There are thousands of me
p and women who cannot sleep becaus
I they were injured by overwork in som
time of domestic or political or relie
S lous eXigency. Mothers who, after tax
e ing n whole family of children throug
p the disorders that are sure to stiilI
h the nursery, have been left physict
7; wrecks, and one entire night of slun
?, Der is to them rarity, If not an in
$, possibility. The attorney at law VIII
s. through long trial in poorly vent
e lated courtroom has stood for week
Il battling fer the rights Of widows an
e orphans or for the life of a client |
IS whose innocence he is confident. thoug
IS all the circumstances are unfavorabl
's1 In his room he tries the case all nigt
IS long, and every night, when he woul
p like TO be slumbering. The physician
y in time OF epidemics, worn out in sa
T. ing the lives of whole families and fai
lie ing in his attempts TO sleep at nigl
Ie between the janglings of his door bel
1t The merchant who has experience
lie panics. when the banks went down an
le Wall street became pandemoniur