Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-01-25
THE NIGHT MAGNIFIEs.

Who Lie Awake and Worry.
"You have lain awake ut night
said a physician. land have heard q
mouse gnawing at the woodwork
somewhere down in a kitchen cup
board?"
The listener nodded
"How loud did it sound to you-as
loud as a burglar splintering the door
jambs with jimmy?"
Another nod.
you have been awakened at 80
a. m. by the crying Of teething in
FAINT next door?"
A shudder.
"And it sounded like the hoarse muir
murs of mingled Mutations of a fren-
zied mob assembled outside to demand
somebody's blood?"
Partial collapse.
"Along toward morning you have lis
tened to the thin, small voice Of mos
quito circulating above your head?'
An Involuntary slap
did it sound like the screech Of q
planning mill turning out clapboards for
q barn?'
Two mods.
would you have minded any OF
those sounds in the daytime?'
| A shake of the head.
! "NOW, have no doubt you think
that the seeming loudness Of these
sounds was due to the contrasting ST.
lence Of the night. But take another
test. You have been in love?"
| Um-um (without utterance).
| "And do you remember how much
softer and warmer and more thrilling
was the touch of your best girls hand
as you strolled with her on the way
homesfrom singing school at the witch.
ing hour of half past 8 p. m. than il
was when you called in the forenoon
to ask if you might escort her to the
aforesaid vocal exercisesY'
| An unspoken yum YUM
"Was it the night silence that added
the finishing touch?
1T was not" the physician replied
to his own question, noting his listen
er's look Of uncertainty. "Take another
instance: You think you know how tt
write-a little"
| A smile of qualification.
"Well, you find yourself awake al
night and thinking. A gem Of an ides
suddenly sparkles in the darkness
You surround it with epigrams, an6
while celebrating the setting you fal
asleep. What does this jewel amount
to in the morning"'
/ A sigh.
'"There you are. You recall the ides
and some Of the epigrams and little
of the setting and all Of it SO common
place that you wouldn't think Of try
ing to make anything presentable GU,
of it.
"The fact is,' the physician went
on, ''the night magnifies. At night oul
pleasures are more keen, our pains
more distressing, our small successes
are triumphs, our little failures are
disasters, our family cherished hopes
appear before us as things realized
our small worries as overwhelmin,
calamities.
"You find yourself awake in th,
night, and your thoughts wander bacl
to some time in your youth when IL
the presence Of those older and wiser
you-as you now see it-were guilty Of
some slight breach in department or o.
some little offense to good taste II
speech, and you dwell upon the con
domination that must have fallen upor
you. In the morning if what yon were
dwelling upon so seriously occurs tt
your mind at all you smile and say tt
yourself that if your fault was noticed
by anybody at the time it was TOT
trivial for any one but you to remem
Der.
"The night magnifesv' the physician
repeated. "Such things as have men
toned prove it. It is partly due to til,
silence, but more to ourselves. To &C
count for the latter would keep m,
talking.
"But take it for granted that what
ever your cause for worry at night i
will look smaller by daylight and re
fuse to dwell on it. If your anticipa
lions are pleasant, nurse them, an(
you will fall asleep. In the morning
you will not be downcast because you
magnified hopes of the night seem un
likely to be realized" = Washington
Post.