The Washington herald., 1913-09-19
SUNSHINE AND AIR
BEST STIMULANTS
Nature Is Not 0ver-Fond of Narcotics
and viii Make Strong Protest
in the End.
By FRANCEs sHAEFER.

When men-some OF them-want to
be soothed into forgetfulness of their
woes and to be freed from all their
physical discomforts, they turn to the
siren, tobacco, and away they float, up
on the clouds.
When they are preparing for a bit of
earnest thought or careful writing, they
light a cigar, wrinkle their foreheads,
and their busy minds proceed with the
precision and beauty of cIockwork.
When they are all tired out with
their efforts, and feel in need of a half
hour rest, they call upon their genial
friend once more ard their WEAKNESS
fades away in the clouds of soft gray
smoke.
When quite nervous and all upset with
cares and perplexities and when worries
press pretty hard. II is tobacco that
comes to- their rescue. and they pun and
puff away until their nerves are re-
stored again.
And when they feel fresh and joviaI
and contented, they smoke-just be-
cause.
Women Have Nerves.
But women need to forget their woes
and to find something to still their dis
comforts. They need romething to in
spire their wandering thoughts and to
guide their faltering pens when they
try to get themselves together for a bit
of faithful work. No friendly cigar,
no sturdy old solacing pipe for them
pray, what do they do?
They grow physically tired, too, and
long for something to rest them and
make them feel ft and ready once more
But what can they draw upon in such
an emergency?
And their nerves-why, they feel ready
to fly in a thousand pieces sometimes,
but there u no tobacco at hand to
quiet them down. no responseful incense
for them. With pipes, cigars. and
cigarettes quite out of their reckoning,
to what can they turn to restore the
poise of their nerves?
Well, there is one woman, at least,
who declares that she has a panacea
for some of the woes of the day. a solace
every whit as effective as tobacco.
When IL happens that she most wants
to concentrate her thoughts for a piece
of effective work, she sends out for a
pound of candy. which must be the very
best With wrappings removed and with
the dainty feast spread before her. she
nibbles away at the sweetness, and 10,
her mind works as well and as fast as
if under the magic spell of tobacco.
When she's tired. it rests her. and IL
nerves grip hard and fast. there's her
box of chocolates &c overcome the busy
little enemies of quiet, and she is herself
again. And it tides her over many a
pushing hour.
Do Not Need slim mulants.
II is strange, though. that folk who
say they know, declare that the physi-
cally sound require no soothing of nerves.
and that their superb vital energy does
not call for stimulants to spur it on.
They teY US that the very men and
women who most feel the need of bit
of stimulant to make them work at their
best are the ones who ought to look 10
their physical selves for the reason. For
it Is not a natural demand. only the cry
of weakened bodies and overworked
minds for something abnormal to buoy
them up.
Men may be soothed ana caressed by
their genial tobacco as much as they like;
we are content to pass it by. II our
minds refuse to concentrate when we
want them TO, we must learn what is
wrong with our bodies. If our nerves
jump when they ought not towel, we
shall not turn to a soft narcotic to help
them; and If we feel something within
calling and calling for a stimulant. We
Sndll iudl YET QlQ
call for tobacco.
Because we really believe it is true that
men, in time, come to grief when they
SrOw quite dependent upon their much
loved weed. For while IL apparently
helps them to think, TO act. and to live,
sometimes it leaves them with wavering
hands, fitful hearts, and with nervous
systems chronically fatIgued. Quite a
price to pay for the pleasant stimulant!
And there's the candy.
Must Pay Nature.
There is one little item the candy-lcver
forgot TO mention. She neglected to tell
that after a long season of feasting
comes an enforced time of fasting, for
nature is not over-fond of that kind of
stimulant, and, though quite patient. she
rebels in the end. And once in a while
EDUCATIONAL.