The Baltimore County union., 1881-11-26
WORRY.

The cause, or condition, which most COMMONLY
exposes the reserve Of mental energy TO loss and
injury IL Worry. The tone and strength Of mind
are seriously impaired by its wearing influence.
and, IL IL continue long enough. they will be de.
stroyed. II sets the organism Of thought and feel
ing vibrating with emotions which are not conso-
nant with the natural liberation of energy in work.
The whole machinery IL thrown out Of gear anl
exercise. which would otherwise be pieasurab!e
and innocuous. become painful and even desirue-
tive. IL u easy to see how this must be. Tue
Longest note in music. the most steady and per-
sistcnt ray Of light-to use an old. fashioned cx.
pression-thc tonic muscular contraction, are all.
We know. produced BY rapid succession of mi
mute motive impulses or acts, like the explosion
and discharge Of electricity FROM alternately con.
ncctcd and separated points in u circuit In fact.
n series Of vibrations. Mental energy doubtless
takes the same form Of development. II = di.-
turbing element Il introduced by the obtru,ion Of
some independent source of anxiety. or if out %
the business In hand the mind makes y discord.
confusion ensues, and for the time being hartno-
nious action ceases. Working under these condi-
tions in obedience 60 the will. the mental organism
sustains injury which must be great and may be
lasting. The function of the warning sense is
suspended the reserve II no longer n stock In
allegiance, ani II ceases to give stability Co the
mind: the rhythm of the mental forces l. inter
ruptei. crash IL always impending. and too
often sudden collapse occurs. The point to be
made clear l. this ovcFwork l. barely possible.
and seldom. u ever. happens. while the mind Is
acting in the way prescribcd by its constitution
and in the normal modes Of mental exercise. The
moment. however. the natural rhythm of work Is
broken ani discord ensucs, the mind IL like an Gu
gine with the safety valve locked. the steam gauge
faisihed, the governing apparatus out of gear
break down may occur at any instant. The state
pictured l. one of worry. aud the beseiiing peril
Is not depicted in loo iaTid co!oFs. The victim Of
worry Is ever on the verge of catastrophe; " he
escape. the marvel L. not at his strength Of intel
lcct 50 much his good fortune. Worry 10 dis
order. however induced. and disorderly work is
ahhorred by the laws of nature. which leave II
wholly without remedy. The energy employed
In industry carried under this condition 10 law
ished In producing q small result. aud speedily
exhausted. The reserve comes into play very
early in the task, and the faculty Of recuperaiion
is speedily arrested. Sometimes loss Of appetite
announces the cessation Of nutrition otherwise
the Of hunger. present in the system. 10 for
q time pfeternaturally acute, and marks the fact
that the demand IL occasioned by loss Of power TO
appropriate, instead Of any diminution Of supply.
The effort 90 work becomes daily more lab0rious.
the task of fixing the attention grows increasingly
difficult thoughts wander. memory fails. the reason
lag power Is enfecbled prejudice-the shade of
dsfunct emotion or some past pcrsuas asion-takes
the place Of Judgment; physical nerve or brain
disturbance may surervene, aud the crash will
then come suddenly. unexpected by onlookers.
uuperceived by the sufferer himself. This Il the
history of "worry." or disorder produced by men
tai disquictudc and distraction. occasionally by
physical disease.-Ths NiaefssHh ceHf1ry.