Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-03-04

u
take II In her own beautiful. sunny
third floor.
Her husband, in describing the ac-
commodations that he could get for her
in the very best ssnitarium.' shook
his head at the thought OF oil the com.
forts and beauty she mast forgo in her
own home.
"why," he said. Eve told the doc
tor that have the regular therapeutic
bathe and the exercise parnphernalia
put In up In our owu third floor, and
have roof garden, and n separate
stairway to the ground. She need not
see a soul, but she can have the feel
that we are all there and looking after
her I"
Just that feeling would be enough
IN some cases. | suppose. TO prevent
complete rest I hazardcd. Could
YOU keep all the tamii!er noses of the
house and the family out OF her ears?
Would she never hear the cAildreu play
ing, or your motor come W the drive.
or count the hours until the ones who
were out nt parties had come home?
Would the nurses never be tempted to
repeat to her what they had gathered
OF what was coin. on below stairs: And
would she never hear YOU whistle for
the dogs"
"Well. that ell ougnl 10 be pleasant
and cheerful" lie urged. Which showed
me how little he understood tho ma,ady
Of prostratiCn OF tho nervous system.
A NYTHING that moves the feelings
"A retards the complete rest which
comes best when one Ia indifferent TO
ones surroundings, and sometimes only
then. All of which is the reason there
must be sanitariunis and why persons
III Of certain maladies are better oil
there, unless--and that is a big unless
the home people have the requisite
knowledge and self control to make the
part Of the home set apart for the rest
cure perfect sanitarium, mentally as
we'll US materially. 1t can be done,
apd has great advantages when 1t can
more than the doctor and the nurses
and the third story to do It. 1t tnkes
the loving co. operation OF en- entire
household, and, what Is hardest of all.
the self effacement of persons nearest
and dearest to the patient.
1t IS curious phase OF those dis
sases of sick nerves that the nearer and
dearer person is, the more wearing
he or she Is, temporarily. Fer the time
being nurse or q doctor or some ar
tendant coming In on daily errand of
healing will serve the purpose Of com
partnership without fatigue. where
well beloved. lifelong companion Will
excite kind Of temporary inpatience
Of fatigue.
1t is because, Of course. one IS ask
ing of the sick nerves what one would
never ask of torn muscles. e., mo
rion along habituul effort
II rest from hGbits--even pleasant
hab!ts-is to be the cure, then it must
be rest from the persons who by their
very look and tones suggest habits, dear
habits or strenuous habits, kindly Of
6oes, or dutiful: 1t makes little differ
ence, since they are habits.
THE other reason for strain is that
i the we'll person feels hurt nine
cases out Of ten Mt the lassitude and
apparent Indifference and sometimes un-
reasoning irritabil!ty of the dear per
son from whom he deserves only love
and appreciation. And il he has hurt
feelings, sooner or later he shows hurt
feelings, and that is fatal-temporarily
at least. II puts the patient on the
defensive, and requires altogether too
much effort TO be safe as an accom-
paniment to rest cure. All Of which
IL only another way of saying that the
family. must not be included with the
third story when that part of the house
is turned into sapitnrium. The eu-
'Quette of a hospital must prevail up
there, whatever else may 20 on below
stairs.
I am moved TO say all this, here,
because i sometimes wonder II the
whole matter Of the security of ones
personality from Interruptions, loving
or otherwise, at certain times and for
totp iy,as 10
Western civilization.
TT Is part Of the religion of the
L Orient, it was great part Of the
religion Of Christ, ii was retained by
churches, and at times practiced In an
exaggerated form. It was reacted
against by the Protestant sects and
only partially revived and regrafted by
one or two Of them in Il sporadic rather
than O popular way. Even the church
buildings Of most Protestant Hects pro
vide no place for solitary persons to
pray and mediate at times other than
public worship hourG. Even the public
worship of the Protestant churches, for
rhe most part, provide no real interval
for silence or meditation. The Sunday
schools do not teach the art Of medi
eation---a very great art Nothing y
cnjoined in the classes for confirmation
or for what Is called Joining the
church" as Il general and prescrbec
rule of Christian litr, apart from th'
service of the church inside build
ing, apart from the night and morning
prayers, but the soul hos n duty 70 it,
self that only II can perform for II
self, In the duty of being alone witt
God.
Physicians get near {" II Wien the,
prescribe for even we'll persons tn
Being "al0ne with uaturc.' Teacher
make sort Of. hint 81 IT. wnen the.
urge their pupilS TO put themselves II
rouch with the great thinkers OF tn
past or the present. There are IL 10
of little religious booklets written b.
thinkers who wish their readers (
think about Goi the way they thin
about God. But who has ever toll
YOU or me that what We needed was t
think with God: And how cnn we aC
,omplish that when some one else
talking to us, or praying aloud near Us
or even disturbing US by being JUS
there thinking about US? For the we
soul, as well AS for the distraught sou
there Ia necessity for yeritab
silence from hsbitual sounds before "
can hear what one. who heard IL cen
turtles ago, called The Still Sms
Voice ."-pogsibly putting into wore
Tor the first time the sensations thi
are apparently familiar in the East
hearing communication beyond Il
present scope OF science 10 expla
much less dupli.ate--aS though
would have said, "a voice that made l
aonnd n voice distinct to me- vet IL