The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-26

posed ono 70 the othsr BY the sacred
author. For him the demon de midi
Was no doubt simply contagion or a
pest The first commentators were not
content with this interpretation they
personihed This evil force Dom Calmet
tells us OF their construction OF the
phrase. They understood by the Doe
monlum merldianum one OF tho most vio-
lent evil spirits which 'dares attack US
in broad daylight. face TO face. instead
of, as other demons do. at night and by
surprise Perhaps there Is an echo OF
pagin superstition. Theocritus said 1T
IL nor permitted 10 us to play the flute
at Noontide. We fear Pan. who takes hi.
rest at that hour after the fatigues of
the chase. Then he Is dan
gerous and his anger rises easily
AS can be seen, this first personih-
cation is yet undetermined II is made
more precise with monastic life and the
'acedia.' Victor Hugo. whose verbal cru
dtion disconcerts one, speaks OF the ace
dia, In the chapters OF Les Miserabes'
devoted to converts. II Is very strange
magl dy. particularly 10 cloisterers, and
which ST. Thomas has defined with his
accustomed precision as sadness OF the
religious spirit. IL IL the disgust with the
sacred life, the rostleSsness OF soul
that prayer. meditation and the manual
labor OF the cell no longer satisfy. II
IL the ennul of the monks soul He
slckens of both his convent and his broth
ers there.
"Ie has arisen IN the morning accord
ing to the rules of the order He has
made his devotlons, but as tho day drags
on the uneasiness OF his mind increases
He feels great fatigue. He has need OF
food. He leaves his cell then returns
following with anxiety the course OF the
sun. which seems to delay the time for
fasting. lie tries TO sleep. but unable
To do so his encouragement increases
still more.
"iIe 1neditates upon the idea OF escap-
ing. returning to the world and breaking
HE vows This, properly speaking. is the
demon de midi' s!nce II develops around
the sixth hour. our noonttme.
Women Affected Toe.
TT Ia difficult for me to recall the
time when a singular analogy appeared
to mo between this demon of the middle
of the day. which the religious monks
suffered from, and the trouble which
setzes so many men at the middle OF tneiI
days. Octave Feullet Ohe French nov
elist) has already noted the hesitation
the temporary wandering of the minds
OF good women at the age OF 40 years
Theis is moral malady that seizes the
best of them on the threshold of ma
turitv, the submerged rock on which
many a vessel hurls Itself when In view
of the port.
"'rhe observation ~ still more Just wher
applied to men. Most women are pre-
served BY maternity, while men, once IT
the grip of this crisis. forget so quickly
that they are fathers. man who has
lived model life. who married young
and reared n family. 30 often VIII sud
denly forget his entire past. desolate his
home because he wished to speak tho
language Of to-day. to take his hing.
He was Catholic we learn that he has
sought a divorce; sober, he has turned
to drink. He saved his money. now h,
spends 1t wildly. The demon de MIDI ha:
him in its grasp.
"'rhis right about face OF character ant
habits of living IN noticed more often II
the domain OF love. 1t also is fount
elsewhere You will find II in business
and politics, literature and art II was
the error of the uoontide of life thai
pushed Napoleon toward the SHOWS o.
| Russia where his army was to perish
! IT was the demon de midi' that dictated
/ les Girondlns' to Lamartine. this 'renie
ment Of Les MrditatiOns' II also die
/ tatcd the Femme de Claude 10 Duma!
fills. who for the first time knew failure
on the stage,
az one REFLECTS moment on the genesis
! Of our psvChIsm this appearance of NJ
unknown being In a known being IL cX
/ p'auod So simply Think indeed of th'
/ her, ditary qualities that "A civilized per
son OF our days has IN him. There or
/ cuvoloncd In our souls 80 many teno"n
cites which are our legacy from those
from whom we come as an Immense la