The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1893-07-28 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

ESCAPE.-It isn't always safe to place too much confidence in strangers, as a good many victims of the bunco game have found to their cost. Sometimes physical danger results, as in the case of Blondin's narrow escape. Blondin, the renowned ropewalker, usually carried a man upon his back when walking the tight-rope. Formerly he was wont to bargain with some one to accompany him on this dangerous journey. On the occasion of a performance in Chicago a man offered his services free. Blondin accepted them, and ascended to the rope with his living burden. When the pair had reached the middle of the rope the man, began to laugh heartily. "What is it that amuses you ? " the rope-walker enquired with astonishment. "Oh, a comic idea has just struck me. I was fancying what sort of face you would pull if, during the next half minute, both of us were to fall down upon the audience." "But we shall not fall," replied Blondin, reasuringly." "But I have determined upon this occasion to take my life." At the same moment the man began to wriggle shout so that the rope-walker nearly lost his balance. He, however, soon composed himself ,dropped his balancing pole, and gripped the man so firmly with his I hands that the latter was unable to move. Then, continuing his walk, although in a state of great trepidation, he arrived safely at the end of the rope, and allowing his living burden to slide from his shoulders, he administered a box on both ears with such force that the would-be suicide fell down unconscious.  " TILE AFTERwoox Nip."—The editor of "Wit and Wisdom" publishes the opinions of a number of eminent correspondents concerning the value of "the afternoon nap." The correspondents are described as "brain workers," which term seems to mean literary and professional men. The replies are as such replies are usually. Our medical readers well know in this, as in other matters, to, hominee tot usus. One man can labour long and well on hours of sleep which would fail to restore another, as one man can use the tobacco or tea which poison his neighbour. Some, who cannot or will not labour by day, labour by night. Now, other things being equal, the value of morning sleep is less than of sleep by night; it is lighter, and more open to disturbances. He who reads and writes by night finds, at threescore or sooner, that he has unduly taxed his strength; for such a person "the nap" is a gain—it adds to the sum of sleep of a sort. Elderly people and bad sleepers often wake very early, and remain awake in spite of the friendly sandwich; for these the later nap is useful. There are, too, harclworked men of naturally feeble powers who benefit greatly by any addition to their hours of sleep; but for the ordinary man who sleeps of an afternoon, the most judicious physician kill prescribe less luncheon. Finally, the value of casual slumbering to persons suffering from " insomnia " is not sufficiently well known. It is too often supposed that sleep is a fund which must be hoarded up for use in due seasons. On the contrary, sleep breeds sleep, and the warm feet, the incurious mind, and the raised position of the easy chair may offer what the softest pillow refuses, and thus the sweet custom of sleep is re-established. —",British Medical Jouraal.'! _