The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-09-08
SYSTEMATIC REST FOR BODY AND BRAIN.

SYSTEMATIC REST FOB BODY AND bkA1A
Rev. E. Duckworth, rector of St.
James Memorial church, had for his
text recently the following: II will
both lay me down in peace and sleep,
for thou, Lord, only makest me to
dwell in safety. Psalm iv, 8.
"For so, he givest his beloved sleep"
Psalm cxxvii, 2. He said, in
part:
"What frequent references are
made in Holy Scripture to the bless
ing of the night and sleep! Thou
nakest darkness and it is night.
Man goeth forth unto his work and
to his labor until the evening" Then
comes the tranquility which hallows
the earth into repose. All nature
seems to sleep, as if soothed by the
shadows after the heat of the day.
The gentle breeze, the brief twilight
and the evensong of nature, all
contribute to subdue the irritations
caused by the days activities. Then,
in large measure, the burden is lift
ed from the shoulders of industry,
the busy brain beats with a gentle
throb, and duty lays lighter weight
upon the heart. It is the daily Sab
bath of the world, and we are thank
full for the hush of life's tumult and
the rest it brings to weary bodies,
perplexed minds and exhausted
souls. The mountains seem to sleep,
as if soothed with evening winds and
dews, while the valleys are subdued
by the gentle murmur of the quiet
streams. Even the busy bee forgets
her daily toll. The silent wood no
more with noise of insect rings, and
all the feathered tribes, by gentle
sleep subdued, roost in the glade and
hang their dropping wings 1t is
the hour when heaven touches earth
with rest and sleep knits up the
raveled sleeve of care, sore labor's
bath. the balm of hurt minds, and
the chief nourisher in 1ife's great
feast.
SIS any home more beautiful than
this? Now the softened splendor of
the setting sun crowns with glowing
beauty the hill tops. or plants with
matchless skill the 2eecy clouds that
gather in the west, and then, ming
ling its light with the summer moon,
falls softly down on all the slumber-
ing scenes of earth, while over the
face of heaven the stars light their
gradual fires in the still abyss of
Gods wide armament. Then comes
the time for sleep. How sweet,
when labors close, to gather round
the troubled breast the curtain of re-
pose, stretches the tired limbs, and
lay the aching head upon your own
delighted bed
Every few persons know the value
of sleep, or have ever considered the
important part sleep plays in the
economy of nature. Nearly half of
our lives is passed away in sleep,
in unconsciousness yet this
method is the way of recu-
peration. By it, we are restored to
life and power and thought. 1t is
the daily miracle of repair. The de-
mand for sleep is greater than the
demand for bread. To live we'll, we
must have both food and sleep, but
sleep is by far the greater factor.
Men have gone forty days without
solid food, and little more than
seven days without food and drink,
but man can live but seven days with
out sleep.
Nothing can take the place of
sleep. There is no substitute for it.
We must sleep or die. Remove
sleep from the life and you have rob.
bed life of all its charm, its strength,
its beauty. There is nothing left if
you take sleep out of life. Then the
five great senses go off duty The
first to be relieved is sight; then
taste, then smell, next hearing, and
finally the sense of touch. In other
words, consciousness is off duty and
nothing matters. When we awake
the process is reversed, and the first
to come on duty is touch; then, in
order, hearing, smell, taste and sight.
The probabilities are that this is the
order of their need for rest, touch
not being so exhausted as vision.
Sleep begins at the feet, and slowly
spreads up the body until the brain
is reached. The easiest way to wake
person is to pinch him; next to
shout at him.
"In such an age as ours, when men
are subjected to such fearful men,
tai strain, and tired out by the ever
lasting sameness of life's monotony,
the demand for sleep becomes greater
year by year. Our power to work is
largely determined by our power to
sleep. Is it any wonder, therefore,
that we are daily face to face with
mental and physical breakdowns,
when we think of all the worry, ex-
citement, grief and overwork which
produces that dreadful, battling thing
called insomnia? Avoid extreme
physical strain, nervous exhaustion
and irritation, especially just before
meals; cultivate cheerfulness, hap
py, contented mind. Beware of
overfatigue. Learn to rest. Sleep !;
get all the natural sleep you can, for
sleep means health, and health means
happiness. ."-.St. Louis Glo6e-Demo-
c1at.
HE HAD been counting the girl for
a long time. 1t happened on Sunday
night after church. They were sit
ting on the sofa, and she looked with
inefable tenderness into his noble
blue eyes.
"Tom," she murmured, with a
tremor in her voice. "didn't vou tell