The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-04-27
l'llE MIGHT
lllllGll ESI

I.ssL-za
y You have lain awake at night.
said - physician, s. and heard mouse
gnawing at the woodwork somewhere
down in Kitchen cupboard ~
His listener nodded.
How loud did Il sound to you-as
loud as a burglar splIntering the door
lambs with Jimmy
Another nod.
you have been awakened at 1880
a m. by the cryingrof teethlng In
FAINT next door,"
A shudder.
"Aud 1t sounded like: the hoarse
ruurmnrs and mingled mutations OF n
frenzIed mob assembled outside to de.
mand somebody's blood 2" IS n. +
Partial collapse. NJ ii. a.
"Along toward morning you have
listened to the thin. small voice of
mosquito calculating above your
.head7-%
An involuntary slap.
Did It sound like the screech OF a
planning mill turning out clapboards
for barn?"
Two mods.
Would You have minded any OF
those sounds In the daytime7"
A shake OF the head.
Now. I have no doubt yon think
that tie seeming loudness of these
sounds 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 M you strolled with her on the
way home from singing.school ut the
witching hour of half-past p. m. 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 2"
1T was not" the physician replied
to his own question. noting his listen
er's look OF uncertainty Take an
other instances: You think you know
how to write-a little"
A smile of qualification.
well. you find yourself awake ut
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 mornihg?"
A sigh.
There you are. You recall the idea
and some OF the epigrams and little
OF the setting. and all of 1t is 80 com.
monplace that you wouldn't think OF
trying to make anything presentable
out OF its
Tho fact Is" the physician went
on. tho night mngnifies. At night
our pleasures are more keen. our
pains more distressing. our small sue
cesses are triumphs. our little failures
arc disasters. our family cherished
hopes appear before us as things re-
allied. our small worries ms over
whelmfng, 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
yoll-as you now see it-were guilty
OF some slight breach In department
or OF some little ofrense 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 &C.
ours to your mind at all you smile and
say to yourself that If your fault was
noticed by anybody Mt the time It was
too trivial for any one but you to re-
member
1.-The night mngnifies." the physI-
clan repeated. Such things as have
mentioned prove 1t. II is partly due
to the silence. Int more to ourselves.
To account for the latter would keep
me talking.
But take It for granted that what.
ever your cause for worry Mt night It
will look smaller by daylight, md re-.
fuse to dwell on It If your nnticlpa-
tons nre pleasant. nurse them. and
You will fall asleep. In the morning
ynu will not be howncnst because your
nagnified hopes OF the night seem I'M.
likely to be realized"