Baxter Springs news., 1917-09-20

Great peace Is with us only when
we are completely relaxed, and ''let
90" a. It were.
To relax Is somewhat Of an art. II
can't be fully done without a deep
breath first, and then the 'let Co."
One can't relax from "half tension" AZ
It were. Often we think we are re-
laxed only to find, after hours Of wait
ing when utter exhaustion slumps us,
that We have been In some respect
holding ourselves away from the bed.
A rehearsal In the theater Is a dire
thing for tightening one up who IL d.
recting II and unconsclously lifting
each character. After many years I've
come to recognize the condition In
time, and often in the dark auditorium,
when the actors or scrub women can't
see me, lie suplne on the carpet In
an aisle or the foyer, and with arms
outstretched for q minute relax all
over. II isn't so simple as II sounds.
Even after the deep breath one has to
think down to the very finger tips and
toes, and BY mental command dismiss
the accumulated tension. Then last
OF all, the muscles Of the face-to let
them fall with half-closed eyelids and
the lips slipping away from the teeth
as they do on dead men. It's quite as
tonishing what a refreshing indulgence
even hnlf minute Of such relaxing iS.
As I've said, IT'S an art to do II, and
very useful when you get 1t.
Praetleed by Japs.
The Japs are past masters at 1t.
They We're taught II and practlced 1t
consclentiously In the JapO-Russian
war. After lying suplne for II minute,
each Jap soldier would be taken by
the head by u cOmrade. and firmly
pulled until the packed vertebrae OF
his spine were drawn apart and re-
leased from the days pressure on
them. Recalling your physiology lee
lures, you will remember that each
spine bone has Its two wings or
fianges. each pierced by u small hole
about the diameter Of q lead pencil.
Through those holes the great trunk
nerves travel with the smaller nerves
branching from them. A few hours
march, even without gun or pack,
says these vertebrae together as tight
as their cartilege cushions will permit.
Lying down helps greatly to remove
this pressure, but the japanese slow
pull ON the head does II at once. A
man can do II somewhat for himself
by lifting his shoulders as he lies on
his back and "hunching" them along
as II trying to get them as fur as pos
slble from his belt. When I'm on my
back for my two minutes rest cure,
take two or three such lunches at
Intervals, trying to hold my gain each
time by an anchorage Of the shoulder
blades against the carpet. Generally
I can hear the vertebrae as they slip
from their packed contact to an easier
adjustment, especially If In my hunch-
Ing l have lifted my head so that some
pull Is put on the spinal column. Six
~ seconds of such rest is worth an
hour In a chair. Richard Harding
Davis told me, or maybe 1t was Irwin
Cobb, 81 heard tell of the German SOL
diers utilizing even few minutes
halt to throw themselves on the
ground fiat and extended"
wish you'd try 1t, especially over
there when they send you and fancy
ii will help If you really believe and
know. as you yield yourself to the
ground. that II Is somewhat more than
rest-know that into your submissive
body the divine and wonderful cur
rents are flowing. curative, restorative
und repleniShlng.
It's really the "Big Medicine"
Afectionately,
FATHER,