Evening journal., 1902-01-23
BilIParSOn'SC SCOlumn
Published Now and Then.
Thoughts on Sleeping in a Cold Room

4, Piled against the windows there,
And the stars look in and smite you
. With a cold and frigid stare,
While the breezes gently whisper
In the regions of your toes,
Then change the old monotony
BY nipping at your nose.
When the water is congealing
In the pitcher on the stand,
And your thoughts begin to wander
To the frigid Arctic land.
On. then you know the blessings
That are surely manifold,
lOf sleeping where there Is no heat.
But in room that's cold
o &. &.
Sometime since | had occasion to
take a little journey into the country
and being unable 10 catch a train back
to the city. decided 10 spend the night
with my friend in his spacious old
farmhouse | had visited him before
during the season when the air was
full OF the scent Of hay and when the
roses We're crOwdng for space as they
clambered over the palings of the gar
den. he whole scene had impressed
me with a luxury and a quiet enjoy
ment that / could only compare with
bit Of Elysium.
Wen. in the evening we sat in a
large room heated by huge stove in
which from time to time my friend
poured scutttles Of coal. Oh. it was
warm enough in a way; the red-hot
stove glowed, sending out a wave Of
heat that beat into our faces, while
the chills raced up and down our backs
and the drafts swept along the floor.
The talk fell upon the sleeping ar
rangements and the good housewife
expressed regret that the bedrooms
were cold. This gave my friend a cue
for lecture; you have heard it a thou
sand times. but it may bear repetition.
He expressed the idea that the only
way to preserve good health and to
prolong life is to sleep in a cold room.
He said that it had been his habit from
childhood. and that it had been in
herited from a long lime of hardy an
cestors. I noticed that the children
who were huddled near the stove seem
ed to have more than their share of
colds and coughs and their constant
barking appeared to be at variance
with my friends theory. l learned that
one of their number was just recov-
ering from Group, and that the year
previous one had died of pneumonia.
The father in discussing II said that a
child with a good constitution would
grow more hardy through having to
take it rough and tumble, and that
only the weakest died. This seemed
to me an argument for the survival OF
the httest. with vengeance. After
awhile. the glow of the stove faded
away the stream Of talk ceased flow-
ing. a suppressed yawn or two, and
with candle in hand we started to bed.
@ 9 @
That march through the long, bare
halls was in itself an event. A blast
of cold air struck me. as though in pro-
test against my entrance. The stairs
creaked and grOaned, and the shutters
shuddered and banged The room was
reached and the process OF disrObing
began. Oh how cold it was, and oh,
how long il took to prepare for that
night of reposei
The light is extinguished and we
prepare for the plunge, yet hesitate just
as we stand shivering on the shore
before the first dive into the frigid
waters of the early summer. Then
with supreme resolution, and eyes shut
tight we take a header and in a mo-
ment are lying apparently between two
flexible cakes of ice that cling to our
shrinking form as though they were
intent on taking a plaster cast of us.
| Meanwhile there is a struggle; life
must not be tamely given over, but
sold as dearly as possible. The noun
tain of bedclothes heaves and billOws.
| Pull it up around the head till only
the tip of the nose is exposed, and feel
an icy blast playing along the soles
Of the feet Then reverse the process
and learn what il is to face a snow-
storm in a low neck costume.
After all your ingenuity has been
exhausted. and you have ceased to
lstruggle, then lie still and think-think
OF your cosy room at home, and won
der how you could have been fool
enough to venture from home over
night in such weather Feel the noun
, tain of clothes pressing down on you,
benumbing your limbs and making
breathing difficult Hear the wind
moaning and sobbing without-perhaps
mourning for that child that died OF
pneumonia last winter.
Then listen! there is another sound ;
It proceeds from the room adjoining.
The old man is snoring. There are all
sorts Of snores. and If we had space
their language might be interpreted
but this was the snore of peace and
content. of the self-righteOus. And in
it I fancied I could detect note of ex-
ultation. which said: With my peace
full conscience YOU could sleep on Z
snowbank."
Well. the night passed like the eter.
nity between two blessed days. Bu
II had not altogether passed wheI
, there came a summons to dress foi
, breakfast. 1t came at a moment wher
weary with battling with fate and the
cold. had fallen into my first dose
! the troubled sleep of exhaustion.
II getting in was a trial. getting ou
, was worse. But with set teeth ISSUED
forth. and by the pale CLEAN Of th'
b. candle began to dress. The water in III
pitcher was frozen. but the heel OF m,
1 oh,o s,aada a., ,nanfWo fbr,offph Tyhirl