The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1901-11-14

ble Compouud. ~ MRS. JENNIE NOBLE,
SOLO Keyser st., Germantown, Pa.
MANYAUThORs COMPOSE IN BED
Some Of the Best Ideas Come t. One
While half Awake.
Most people, IL asked the question.
would say that bed" was the place to
rest in, not to work. And though this
Is true Of the great majority Of people,
there is still a decent mOdicum left
who find bed" very congenial place
in which to do their work, or a great
part of 1t, and who, in fact, do not dis
guise the truth that they can work
there very effectively.
This plan was followed by the great
poet Campbell, who tells us that he lay
awake thinking of his projected poem
'LOchiel," when there came into his
mind. with other poetic thoughts, the
idea of the shadows in the room "show-
ing up" as the day began to break. and
he at once jumped out Of bed and wrote
down what has since become a world
wide proverb. Coming events cast
their shadows before"
Many writer's owe much Of their sue
cess to clever plots and articles which
have been begun, worked out, and final
ly set into proper form during the time
that their authors lay between the
blankets. The writings afterward have
often been merely mechanical, and
even much Of that was done In bed; the
setting of the plot and the dialogue was
the chief thing. as most writer's know
too well.
II trust you'll excuse me-" said a eel
ebrated doctor lately to friend who
had called to see him early. and who.
on being asked to go up to his bed room.
found the physician still enjoying the
comfort Of the sheets. kindly sit
down, my boy, for a minute. till I've
done answering these letters. have
my letters brought up Immediately
when they arrive in the morning and
go over them In bed and put down
the replies in pencil on the back of
them. Then when my secretary arrives
at 8 he has nothing to do but 60 and
answer them. AS you know. am kept
busy from 10 O'Clock. when first ap-
pear downstairs. till late at night, and
this plan, you see. saves me nearly an
hours work with him."
That students often ''burn the mid
night oir' In bed Is a fact commonly
known, but few are aware of the
length to which this Is carried out, es-
pecially In colleges. I know a college
in London where any night one could
lind thirty or forty men all working In
bed. with note books. manuals, pencils
and all In full rig-out, many Of them
having their writing desks before them
on the bed. The contrivances for turn
ing out the gas without getting out Of
bed when work Is done would do credit
to the ingenuity Of an Edison.
And where did you ever find time to
get through your classical authors and
do your mathematical problems 80 thor.
oughly as to gain distinction?' said to
London University man. who had
graduated few years ago with dis
tinguished honors. For knew he had
worked hard at his own business all
the day from 8 till 8.
I'm bed. old fellow, In -bed!" said he.
Il used to lie awake In the morning for
an hour before getting up and employ
ed the time in thinking over the Eucli-
dian riders and comic problems that
had puzzled me. Almost invariably l
worked their solution out in my brain
without paper or pencil while lying In
bed. And every night before / went to
sleep I went over 30 many dozen Greek
verbs and Latin annotations till they
were all just Ike the multiplication t.
BILE to me-"
There Is another class Of men who
work much In bed-vix.. the legal fra
ternity. Not very long ago leading
Q. @. in an important case only rot his
brief delivered the night before the
case came on for trial at Manchester
assizes, and yet, to everybody's aston
ishment, he showed next day Z most
surprising grasp Of the case, and dealt
60 successfully with It and the Wit
nesses engaged In It a to bring on his
client successfully. Asked a. to how
he had been able to master such An In
tricate brief In one night. the Q. G. n
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