Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1900-01-04
THE SIESTA.
A Very Valuable Method of Keeping
Well and Fresh.


The word comes to us from IN,
Spanish and is defined by our English
photographers as "a short midda!
nap" The deeper root is in the Latir
sessum-"to sit, or sessitare-"to ST
long"
To do nothing confessedly and de-
liberately for an hour, or for hal
that time, is an impropriety in the
sight of our average housewife, a mis-
demeanor in the estimation of hel
busy husband, writes Marion Harland
He may white a stick and she twiddle
her thumbs while gossiping with a
neighhor for half as long again with
out ofiense to conscience. Not one in
five hundred of either sex has the NOR
al courage to say, Il make it a rule to
get an hours clear rest after luncheon
Tor dinner every day, and l miss il
sadly when do not have it.
A woman upon whom | was urging
the siesta as work of necessity and
mercy told me that she was opposed
upon principle to forming any hat
the interruption of which would make
her uncomfortable"
IF | take a rest at certain hour
every day'I should be sleepy always at
that hour and sometimes that would
be inconvenient, you know"
/ retorted that the same objection APP
piled to the formation of any habit,
SUCH for instance, as eating ones
lunch or taking daily bath, or a brisk
constitutional-or combing the hair, or
brushing the teeth.
| remarked, moreover. in my haste.
what l beg leave to repeat here at my
leisure-that, in my opinion, not one
of the practices | enumerated was more
essential to my health of mind and
body than the midday rest hour. Were
| dictator, | would enjoin it by law,
and enforce it by the constabulary. 1t
should be penal offense to do any
work of whatsoever description be-
tween the hours of and in the after
noon and each man, woman and child
should rest apart from the other mem
bers of the household. And after this
manner should this sanitary season be
spent Dealing with the householder
as the one most in need of this type of
fe-preserver-and the one whose ex-
ample would be most surely followed
by the rest:
She must retire to her room and let
down her hair exchange her dress for
loose wrapper, when she has removed
her stays; don pair of loose slippers,
dispose herself as luxuriously as posi-
bic upon bed, lounge or reclining chair,
and think of nothing, so far as in her
lies, for the full number OF minutes
prescribed by law. If she cannot make
vacuum of her mind, let her read in
moderation the lightest novel she can
lay her hand upon without exerting
herself to look for it. She should
empty her mind of care. turning it up
side down to drain out the dregs For
the next hour she should belong entire
y to herself, and have no earthly con-
Germ except to relax physical, mental
and moral muscles. If the light fic-
ton should interest her to the extent of
making her care what comes next in
the story it should be laid by as unfit
for the purpose she has in hand
Presently, she will grow drowsy; the
book will slide from the lax fingers
the eyelids close, and sleep-that
blessed thing.
Beloved from pole to pole
carry on the good work to fulillment
Leaving Utopia and theory, l would
observe that the length of the slumber
the genuine "nap"-is not so important
as the reality of the loss of conscious
ness. Ten minutes will as surely
loosen the invisible screw at the base
o. the brain as an hour.
The busiest literary woman | know
ascribes the sustained vigor Of bodily
and mental powers that enables her
to work at go as earnestly and happily
as at 40 to the siesta never intermitted,
except under the stress of necessity,
for thirty-fye years.
Il seldom really sleep quarter of
of an hour" she says. Sometimes
only lose myself for five minutes and
awake, made over. Then have rapid
bath. dress and am good for another
half-day's work"
she has condensed the life-giving
secret into two words" Lose myself. "
That is the dear and healthy country
lat the back of the north wind
whence we emerge, fresh and strong
made over" as Antoeus sprang in re-