The daily tribune., 1908-05-19
the NIGHT
MAehlFlES

You have lain awake at night.
said physician. land heard mouse
gnawing at the woodwork somewhere
| down In kitchen cupboard?"
His listener nodded.
How loud did it sound to you-aa
loud as burglar splintering the door
jambs with jimmy!"
Another nod
You have been awakened at 30
a. m. by the crying OF teething In
fant next door,"
A shudder.
And 1t sounded like the hoarse
nurmurs and mingled Mutations OF q
frenzied mob assembled outside to de-
mand somebody's blood?"
Partial collapse
Along toward morning you have
listened to the thin. small voice of
| mosquito circulating above your
head?"
An Involuntary slap.
did 1t sound like the screech Of q
planning mill turning out clapboards
FOR barn?"
Two mods
Would you have minded any of
those sounds in the daytime?"
A shake of the head
Now, l have no doubt you think
that the seeming loudness of these
sonncs was due to the contrasting ST.
lence OF the night. But take another
test You have been In lover"
Um-um (without utterance)
And do you remember how much
softer and warmer and more thrill.
ing was the touch OF your best girls
hand as you strolled with her on the
w.y home from singing school at the
witching hour of halfpast o p. IN. than
1t was when you called in the forenoon
to ask II you might escort her to the
aforesaid vocal exercises?"
An unspoken yum yum.
Was 1t the night silence, then, that
added the finishing touch?"
ut WAS not" the physician replied
to his own question. noting his listen.
er's look Of uncertainty Take an.
other instance: You think you know
how to write-a little"
smile of qualification.
well. you find yourself awake at
night and thinking. A gem of an idea
suddenly sparkles in the darkness
You surround 1t with epigrams and
while celebrating the setting you fall
asleep. What does this Jewel amount
to in the morning?"
A sigh.
There you are. You recall the idea
and some OF the epigrams and a little
al r,f l.
monplace that you wouldn't think Of
trying to make anything presentabls
out of IT.
The fact is" the physician went
on, "the night magnifies. At night
our pleasures are more keen, our
pains more distressing. our small ,uc-
cesses are triumphs. our little failures
are disasters. our family. cherished
hopes appear before us as things re-
allied. our small worries as over.
whelming calamities.
You find yourself awake in the
night and your thoughts wander back
to some time In your youth when in
the presence OF those older and wiser
you-as you now see it-were guilty
OF some slight breach In department
or of some little offense to good taste
In speech, and you dwell upon the
condemnation that must have fallen
upon you. In the morning II what you
were dwelling upon SO seriously oc-
ours to your mind at all you smile and
say to yourself that II your fault was
noticed by anybody at the time II was
too trivial for any one but you to re-
member.
THE night magniHes," the physi-
clan repeated. Such things as have
mentioned prove II. It Is partly due
to the silence. but more to ourselves.
To account for the latter would keep
me talking.
But take II for granted that what.
ever your cause for worry at night II
will look smaller by daylight. and re-
fuse TO dwell on II. II your antlc,pa.
uons are pleasant. nurse them. and
you will fall asleep. In the morning
you will not be downcast because your
magniiied hopes of the night seem un.
lihsly TO be realized"
LIKE MOTHER USED TO MAKE.