The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-10-22
.uisceiidsfe0ssS.
Overwork and underworld.

The majority of mankind need no eau
ton against overwork. Where work Kills
one, the want of work kills ten, the fires
of passion consumes twenty. sinful indul-
gence destroys fifty. Incases where work
seems TO undermine health, it is not so Of
ten that the labor is too much, as the faulty
way in which ii is done, the spirit in which
Il is performed. Labor, TO be permanent
" endurable. must be healthy; that is, il
must be adapted TO the mental and physi-
cal capacities Of the worker, and especial
" il brain labor, il must be pleasing. II
must not be allowed to intrcnch upon
sleep, interfere with the regular and de-
liberate taking of food, nor prevent n
proper amount OF recreation and exercise,
Those who write upon this subject rarely
look beyond the surface Of the matter,
Dyspepsia is traced to hasty meals and
want of exercise, softening Of the brain
to excessive thinking, and so on. The
why the meals are hasty, or the brain
overtasked, seems TO escape notice.
1t were easy to get u hint that would
lead to the real truth-if the same super
fetal observation did not prevent it-from
the exceptional cases; the men whose
brows are sunny and unseamed: whose
laugh is hearty and ringing. notwithstand-
ing they perform an amount Of work which
seems incredible to those whose own tolls
are so onerous that itpasses their concep-
ton how flesh, and blood, and mind, could
possibly endure more. Tho healthiest
men we know are those who do not work
the handicst, but do the most work. There
Is no paradox about this. Every business
man sees among his employees examples
Of men who work hard yet accomplish lit
tie, others who easily accomplish much,
How Is this TO be explained? Much Is
attributable TO the want Of system on the
part of the inefficient. more to the want
of the proper spirit. Nervous irritability
is the greatest weakness of the American
character. II is the sharp grit which az
gravates friction and cuts out the bearing
of the entire human machine. Nine out
of every ten men we meet are in chronic
state of annoyance. The least untoward
thing sets them in state of ferment. I'M
patience is the poison that heats the blood
and ruins stomachs, more than excess of
pepper and mustard. Every machinist
knows that when journal begins to cut,
there is no help but TO stop and cool 1t off,
if ruin Is 10 be avoided, Let ii 20 on and
il cuts faster and faster. till the crash
comes. We are less wise rs regards our
selves. We allow ourselves to fret. and to
acquire the habit Of fretting. until fretting
becomes chronic. We fret while we eat,
and while we ought TO sleep. and by fret
ting, rob nature of needful rest.
The machinist, when he finds his ma
chinery squeaking, applies the oil; If the
bearings have become so hot rs to endan-
ger the works, he stops and allows them
To cool. The human machine should be
treated in like manner. II should be well
oiled and cooled.
What is the oil that will stop the squeak
ing-the lubricater that will keep the ma
chincry from heating? Dickens has Civ
en- us the formula in the words of his in
imitable Mark Tapley. keep jolly."
Good humor Is what win keep digestion
perfect and the brain from softening, while
il will, Mt the same time, keep the heart
from hardening. We know man who
does daily an amount of work, the mere
contemplation of which would give some
of our nervous friends fit of Mysteries
We have seen his desk loaded down, be-
fore his arrival ut his office, with mas.
of matter which would have made our
neighbor Stewandfret turn three shade,
more sallow than is his wont, If it did not
bring ON an attack of jaundice outright.
He did not 90 into mysteries. nor get bill
lious; he only laughed good, hearty,
rollicking laugh at the good joke of sup
posing one good-himorcd pair Of hands
could get through with such n stock OF
business in single day. And then, 70
turn the joke from himself. he went at il,
put ii all through in good style, and had
his hearty laugh again. at the cpd of it,
and went home Self-Satisfied and content.
No danger Of his getting dyspeptic. or his
brain softcning; he keeps his machinery
oiled. He is not one of those described
by Hood
. Morbid, all bile and yerjuioe and ner,eS,
Where other people would make preserves,
lie turns his hut into pickles"
He will outlive two such, and do the work
of four. His sleep will always be blest
with the Golden dreams that make men
awake hungry. american.