The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-27
FOR FEMININE READERS
A REST CURE AT HOME FOR NERv-
oUs AND ovERwROUGHT WOMEN.
Are American Women Better Mothers
than Wives .-Books for the Guest
Room-Odds and Ends.

"You must have a rest cure" says the
doctor. who has been gazing at you in the
benevolent manner common to the profess
sion.
You look up, says writer in Golfers
Weekly, wondering how you are TO manage
it. for you simply cannot now get away to
a sanitarium on mountain side, in pine
land. or by sea, north or south. To
say nothing of John, who is fast bound
TO his Office, and whom you W.T. not leave,
there are the children, and you have no
convenient Aunt Martha or Cousin Mary
to step in and mother them while you are
away. And you are not proclaiming 1t on
the housetops, but since you and John
Strengthened out your last cash account,
and paid January bills, the funds in the
exchequer have been low, and you cam
not afford trip to California, or Florida,
or the Adirondacks or Bermuda. A rest
cure, indeed! You are inclined to laugh in
the doctors face.
But doctors are generally mind readers
and can see below the surface. Yours is
no exception. AS if you had spoken, he
answers you, and suggests that you take
| rest cure just where you are; here at
home; and, now, beginning with the pres
ent hour.
az do not think you need go away, but
| you must follow my directions absolutely.
In the first place, you are tired out.
Your nerve force has been too heavily
drawn upon, and you are suffering from ex-
haustion.
You must not be distracted by too many
objects which require care. Let your maid
Put away two-thirds of the pretty things
in this room. They need to be busted, and
you must minimize the busting.
1.-THE room is sunny, and sunshine is
| medicine. Push your lounge across the
brightest corner, and let the little table
| stand beside it. Read nothing which can
tax your mind, but have the illustrated pa
| pers and magazines and novel or two
at hand, and read whenever you like, re-
Numbering that the doctor has ordered it
and so you are not wasting your time
| The doctor pauses, and then, as you are ST.
| lent, proceeds:
II advise you to give up your clubs and
committees and teas and dinners and
| funerals and all the other social obliga-
| lions for six weeks. Don't go where you
must meet and talk TO people. Let your
friends you infrequently. If you are
| taking an ocean voyage you would be
absent from your usual functions ashore.
| So pray consider yourself as a person on
voyage for the present. Cut loose from or
| binary routine.
| About your breakfast" adds the doctor,
take IL before you rise in the morning.
| Have il brought TO your bed; fruit, coffee
and rolls will be sufficient. The little eldest
/ daughter, who is capable and dainty,
| will supervise the tray and send you a
breakfast which will have a tempting look
| Half the women In the lana would be
| stronger. sweeter and happier-also easier
| to live with-if they habitually took the
| precaution to eat something before they
| dressed in the morning.
| AT IL o'clock drink glass of hot milk
| in sips, and eat biscuit. At l o'clock
| have a chop and baked potato. Go out
| after luncheon and walk a little way, or
drive. or take ride in an electric car.
| Lie down and shut your eyes and relax
| when you come home-relax every muscle
| as child does in sleep.
| Take dinner with John and the family.
| Go early to bed. And don't worry. A
| month hence you will be a new woman
The doctor goes away. And his patient is
| meaning, hope, to try the virtue of a
| rest cure at home.
Many of us, who stagger under the load
| of semi-invalidsm, who are never more
| than half-well, and seldom able to taste
the 'ull joy of living, would be made over
By cutting off some of our crowding en-
| gagements, by eating more and oftener,
| by Ceasing to fret and fidget over trifies, by
recognizing the fact that we are not COM
posed of steel and iron, but of nerves and
flesh and blood, and by stopping where we
| til we are aware that We are not tired all
| through any more.
Most important of all, If we could but
| appreciate it at Its true worth, is the SEN
sible injunction not to worry. We let the
| little things embarrass us; we carry too
much anxiety. A woman with a loving
heart and a vivid Imagination can fore
| cast OF troubles for her dear ones,
plunging them into desperate situations
and distressing herself about things which
| may never happen. If Eugene, who ought
| to be at home at 6, is detained and does
not come until z. his mother has seen him
| caught in railroad accident, terribly
manned, borne insensble 10 a hospital.
| and. finally, has wept over his coffin and
planted flowers on his grave before his
| key is heard in the door and his CHEEKY
voice in the hall There is no end to the
| vagaries and the extravagant insanities of
| worry. People worry lest they shall spend
old age in the poorhouse, lest they shall
| catch the smallpox, lest they gave a
| wrong impression when they related an
| event, lest their stocks shall go down.
lest their daughter in the cradle shall
grow up and marry dissipated man, and
the worrying frame of mind is like a Lon
| don fog, thick that the candles of faith
and common sense cannot penetrate its
gloom. Don't worry is a good maxim for
| new century.