The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-07-01
NERVOUS PEOPLE.

NERVOUS PEOPLE.
There is almost everywhere n very large
number of persons. many of them well
enough Oft. pecGniariiy ncaking. 30 whom
The world IS ali a worry and life long
continued fever. People OF this class are
not iuvaiidS III the strict meaning Of the
term. although they oitontimes suffer far
more than the generality Of invalidS.
Pleasures they never know; hard work is
d WEAKNESS; and yet they are unable to
enjoy their leisure when they obtain it.
Their symptoms, mental ana bodily taken
collectively. constitute Il disease which,
for want Of better. designate 10y the
name of nervous unrest.
\ person so suffering does not consider
himself i'll, nor is he looked upon as a sub
iact for condolence by those with whom
he comes into daily contact. low could
he be. he does not look a bit like the
ghost OF Barquo at the feast: when you
meet him i'll the street. the smile rises
readily enough to his lips, and merriment
even may sparkle in his eye. If you
search for anything lu@ubrious about bin,
you will search in vain. lie is a ready
reckoner. If you ask his opinion about
any question of moment, you have not to
wait long for yourreply. lie will be down
at the bottom of the page, down at the
q. L. D.. in less time than it would have
taken most men TO arrange their premise.
His friends say OF such man, - Poor
So-and-so, he never was very robust in
health. but how wonderfully lively be is
while his enemies-if he has any-put
him down as bird-witted. and prophesy
his sudden extinction some day like the
snuff OF a candle.
Very kind of both friends and foes, |
must say. but, as 4 rule, both are in some
! degree mistaken. For in all likelihood
hardly has he shaken hands with you,
| with a hurried "a rtr0ir, until he heaveS
Sigh: and if you could see your friend
sometimes when he is all alone, you
would not think there was much merri-
ment about him-genuine, mind you,
| though his manner may have been when
| You met him in tie street. In his mo-
ments OF loneliness. were he to ask him
self the question, Am | happy" the
answer would be, NO: | never know
what it means to be happy Perhaps,
though-and this is proof OF the truth
OF Popc's lines,
"ilopa springseternal i'll the human breast
| Man never is, but always to be, heSt''-
he promises himself happiness some day
| even in this world, when he shall have
| done this. or accomplished that. or sue
| cceded to that other. forgetting that true
| happiness lies only in conttntment with
ones present condition and legitimate lot
! ia life.
But while lis friends may be right
| enough i'll saying that our patient--for so
! must cal! hlm-waS never very robust,
| provided that lie possesses blood free from
any hereditary faint, and a heart not over
dilated, there is good chance Of his Civ
| ing his foes the lie and not going out
| like the snuff Of Il candle. People suffer
| iuw from this fever Of life. this nervous
unrest, seldom look strong: they do not
! carry abundance of muscle. and therefore
are unfit tOr amy long continued bodily
strain: but, nevertheless the strength of
| their muscle compared to its size seems
often out ct AL proportion, and this en-
ahes them to do i'll one hour that which
it would take a heavily built man three
| to perform. DO not marvel at this. pray,
| nor doubt the truth of what am telling
| vOu. Nervous force Is Il wonderful thing.
| | have seen boy Of seventeen in a fit
| of excitement ana passion whom it re-
| quircd the united strength of four men
| to hold down. Nor do men who suffer
| from the complaint Wo are considering
bend very easily before the storms of life.
| blow they ever SO wildly: little things
annoy them more. and SOrrow itself
| which seems at first ready to crush them.
| is. after a time. cast aside by the very
| resiliency Of their nervous systems. And
| so. too, they may for a time succumb.
| and that readily enough, to the little all
mentS of life, TO trtling colds, or rheums
or aches. but these seldom lead to any
thing very serious: they pass speedily
| away. and the same caHSeS which may
| produce deadly in,iammations in the
| heavy bodied and plethorc will. ten to
| one. be productive in the nervous Of only
some very trit'in% Inconvenience.
The reader will observe that | am talk
| ing about the sufferer from nervous I'M
| rest as what people call Il somewhat spare
| man. And 50 he Is: person of the true
| nervous temperament is never obese. But
| it may be observed, do We not frequently
! see fat people who are exceedingly nerv-
| ouso No, J reply: the term is lnisapplipd:
| such people eulier from timidity, not
| from true nervousness; and such timidity
| has it's seat at tue heart. which is gener-
ally tlaccid or fatty. and always easily
lgitated. Your true nervous man is
! b 4 &c man. He may march into a battle
| up to the lannon's lmuuth even, with a
| feeling of dread, something telling him he
will never return but he goes there all
| the same. and once face 10 face with
! something to fight, be it fire or sword or
| stormy Wayp, tp:.. IN ali, ali forgotten in
| the excitement of cnnpueriug or ueing
conquered. They are heroes then. Yes:
undoubtedly the hour of reaction comes
sooner or later. and they are low ard
miserable enough when it does: but, af-
I ter all. to people OF ihD nervous tempera-
ment must be granted the credit Of being
| the salt of the earth. and really do not
! see how this world could well wag along
| without them.
u iLiS .la9gy weather. He came
home the other night III the drizzling
| rain, soaked inside as Wen as out. What
excuse have YOU to offer said his bet
ter half, - for coming home in such
beery condition?' 8 None, my dear
Was his answer "'eept twas , very
muggy day
GIs- When a Southern man has lots of
chickens in his hen house, the neighbors
turn to aud elect him to Congress, SO
they can take whack at the fowls with
nobody to interfere. Congress is Of some
use to this country.