The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1882-11-30
A GOSPEL OF RELAXATION,
Herbert Spencer on the Need of . Re-
vised Ideal of Life I'm America.

Herbert Spencer on the Need OF q Re
vised Ideal of Life I'm America.
From Speech at New York.
What have seen and heard during
my stay among you has forced ON me the
belief that this slow change from habitu-
al inertness to persistent activity has
reached an extreme from which there
must begin counter change-a reaction.
Everywhere I have been struck with the
number of faces which told in strong
lines of the burdens that had to be
borne. I have been struck, too, with
the large proportion ofgray-haired men,
and inquiries have brought out the fact
that with you the hair commonly be-
gins to turn some ten years earlier than
with US. Moreover. in every circle l have
met men who had themselves suffered
from nervous collapses due to stress OF
business or named friends who had either
killed themselves by overwork OF
had been permanently incapacitated or
had wasted long periods in endeavors to
recover health. l do but echo the opin-
ion of all the observant persons l have
spoken to, that immense injury is being
done by this high pressure life-the ply
sique is being undermined. That subtle
thinker and poet whom you have lately
had to mourn, Emerson, says, in his
essay on the gentleman, that the first re-
quislte is that He shall be good animal.
The requisite is general oue-it ex-
tends to the man, to the father, to the
citizen. We hear q great deal about the
"vile body" transgress the laws Of
health. But nature quietly suppresses
those who treat thus disrespectfully one
of her highest products, and leaves the
world to be peopled by the descendants
of those who are not 50 foolish.
Beyond these immediate mischiefs
there are remoter misclliefs. Exclusive
devotion to work has the result that
amusements cease to please; and, when
relaxation becomes imperative, life be.
comes weary from lack Gifts sole interest,
the interest in business The remark
current in England that, when the
American travels, his aim is to do the
greatest amount Of sightseeing IN the
shortest time, find current here also.
1t is recognized that the satisfaction Of
getting On devours nearly al other
satisfactions. When recently at Niagara,
| learned from the landlord Of the hotel
90 away the next. Old Froissart, who
said Of the English of his day that "they
after their iashion,'' would Doubtless s
if he lived now, say Of the Americans
that they ia Ike their pleasures hurriedly
after their fashion. In large measure
with US, and still more with you, there
is not that abandonment to the moment
which is requisite for full enjoyment, and
this abandonment is prevented by the
ever present sense of mutlitudinous ply
steal mischief caused by oyerWork, there
is the further mischief that it DESTROYS
what value there would otherwise be in
the leisure part of life.
Nor do the evils END here. Tilere is
the injury to posterity. Damaged con-
situations reappear in children and en-
tail on them far more Of i'll than great
fortunes yield them OF good. When life
has been duly rationa)ized by science it
will be seen that among a mans duties
care of the body is imperative, not only
out Of regard for personal welfare,
but also out Of regard for his
immediate descendants. His constitu-
ton will be considered as an entailed es-
tate, which ought to pass on uninjured.
if not improved, to those who follow,
and it will be held that millions be-
queathed by him will not compensate
for feeble health and decreased ability
to enjoy life. Once HI ore there is the in
jury to fellow citizens, taking the shape
of an undue disregard Of competitors. l
hear that great trader among you de-
liberately endeavors to crush out every
one whose business competed with his
own; and mauilestly the man who,
1>irrv pocolf cj fn accommodation
t for Profession 70 he is engaged in making
it harder for all others engaged in it
and excludes from it many who might
otherwise gain completeness.