The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1911-02-10
Her Insomnia
~ ~ IA


~(Scene-The dining room Of a house
In a Chicago suburb. at {. 80 a. m. A
neat but very sleeping-looking maid is
arranging the table for breakfast. Mr..
and Mrs. Harberson. also very sleepy
looking. enter from the hall. Mrs.
Harberson sinks into the nearest
chair, leans back and closes her eyes.
Her husband yawns and opens the
morning paper.
Mrs. HENDERSON (drowsily. as some
n Is heard descending the stairs)-
: Here she comes. now. You may serve
the breakfast. Mary.
a. plump. middle-aged woman ap.
pears.) I
Harberson NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
Ing, Cousin Harriet. hope you slept
well2 I 4 "a.
Mrs. Harberson (sympathetically)-
Poor Cousin Harriet! Pm afraid your
first hight with US wasn't very rest.
full. ,4Sgr
Cousin Harriet with an air of res.
ignation,f as they take their places at
the table)-NoAmy dear, it wasn't
far from 1t. But a victim Of insomnia
does not expect restful nights.
Henderson (suppressing a yawn)-
Nothing like being used to It! But last
night : u .
Cousin Harriet Qmpressively)-Yes,
1t has been years and years since I
really had . nights sleep. I never
close my eyes till one or two O'Clock
and -often not till dawn!
Mrs. Harberson--Well. It's q perfect
shame! Tonight you must try
Cousin Harriet-Oh. my dear, rye
ried eyerything-just everything! But
nothing does any good! Somebody
once told me to imagine that | saw .
flock OF sheep jumping over a gate
and to count them as they jumped:
but every once In a while my eyes
would go shut. just for an instant:
then I'd forget how many I had count.
er and I'd have to begin all over again.
I've tried saying the multiplication
table, too. but f'never can be sure how
many nine times seven are unless l
stop TO think, and, Of course, you
can't 60 to. sleep when you are think.
ing! And I've tried hot baths and
sleeping without q pillow and opening
the window and a lunch before retir.
ing and
Harberson-What did you eat?
Cousin Harriet (helping herself to
another roll)--Oh. everything! But Il
didn't do a bit OF good. One night
last week I ate a piece of hickory.nut
cake, and some lobster salad that I
found%fn the; icebox and | never closed
my eyes the whole night long.
Mrs. Harberson-It might have been
a little better II l had put you in the
back room. Our spare room IL %
close: to- the. street.
Cousin Harriet-Yes, when I do han
pen to drop on, the very slightest
noiseFwakens me. l. always sleep with
n eeye and both ears open. It's q
wonder how l. manage to exist with
the small amount of sleep / get
. Mrs, Harberson. (who has been mai.
Ing 4 constant effort to keep her heavy
eyelids from closing)-Yes. one dos
feel so .wretched sitter losing even u
nights sleep! Nov. this morning I
can hardly hold UP Ivy head.
Cousin Harriet (lokk ing keenly at
Mrs. Harberson)-Don't tell re you
are beginning to be troubled with in.
somniG? Turning to Harberson.) And
Clarence. too! declare you both look
as though You hadn't slept a wink.
Mrs. Harberson-Oh. no, indeed!
Both Clarence and I usually sleep very
we'll. sBut last. might
Cousin Harriet (mournfully)-You
poor child! It will grow on you. That
was the way I began: just an occasion
al bad night. And people are SO un.
sympathetic about insomnia!
Observation-Disclosures. Cousin Har.
riet! We haven't got insomnia! 1t was
the are engines -:
Cousin Harriet (puazlsd)-T IRE
engines?
Mrs. fIarbsrson-Of oeurse, no one
could expect to sleep last night.
Cousin Harriet (blankly)-1 don't
see why.
Harberson Cleaning forward and
looking. all at once, very wide awake)
DO you mean to say, Cousin Harriet,
that you didn't know the house and
barn across the way burned to the
ground last night?
Mrs. Harberson-And that the street
was full Of IRE engines and yelpins
dogs and shouting people from IA
O'Clock. till dawn?
Cousin Harriet-You don't really
mean Getting up and going to the
window Impossible! looks out. an.
pears slightly confused. but recover
hersslf.) Well. well! I suppose I must
have dozen q little toward morning!
Standard oil Capital.
Earnings Of the Standard OIL Com.
pany are understood to be at a rate