Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-04-07
RECKLESS OF LIFE.
Tho Sin and Folly of Giving the
Brain Too Much to Do.

Grdm 100 MuCn 10 10.
When | learned the Catechism ir
childhood, an answer TO what is re-
quired in the sixth commandment wa.
impressed on my infant mind The
commandment is Thou shalt no,
kill" and the Catechism said this com.
mand requires 1.-THE use of all lawful
endeavors to preserve our own lives
and the lives OF Others
There is no question among Christian
people as to the sin Of suicide. There
have been moralists who boldly teach
the circumstances in which il is right to
take ones life, run away from the posi-
which God has appointed, rush unbid.
den INTO the presence of the Supreme
Judge, abandon every trust and duty,
and plunge into the dark abyss OF
eternity, with the guilt of murder on
the soul.
II is probable that very few persons
of Christian principles thus defy Col.
except when reason has left its throne
and the mind is in anarchy. We call
that state insanity. He was insane: I'M
sound: and we see the duty of PRAYING
God daily and hourly that we may
have the use of reason, for with it we
60 astray too often and too tar: with
out it, wreck and ruin are assured.
But with the knowledge of thi, fact
that we are by the rule of God TO use
all lawful cndeavors 10 preserve our
own and others lives, the truth is that
we are far more reckless of our lives
than we are of our money. To get
and keep that, we "tug and toll and
strive" eat the bread OF care and often
waste and destroy health in the pursuit
of wealth we can not enjoy because we
have ruined health in its acquisition.
wrote in my last of being in Spain.
At the same table where | met the
American lady who described the bull
lights was gentleman from New
York, who talked out loud to him.
self" while eating his dinner. No
other outward manifestation of in
trinity was given, while his counte-
nance and appetite encouraged the be-
lief that he was eccentric only. But
inquiry brought out the fact that he
was gentleman from New York who
had overworked himself in business
and was now said to be "off the
handle. There are thousands OF
wealthy men in similar condition of
mind and body to-day. Their ranks
are recruited by volunteers as fast
as they die at the top and 90
to Europe or the grave. And was
led to look at the beginning of these
troubles by an extract in q late number
of this paper from DIR. Crichton
Brownies report addressed to the Edu.
cation Department of the British GOV
eminent. The facts are very startling,
and they apply with intenser force to
the American people than to the British.
We are far more driving, pushing
and pulling people than they. We never
have learned, and never will, to take
things moderately. Repose in essen.
tial 10 the finest character of an English
man. Activity is the beauty of an Ameri-
can. The Britisher is supposed TO be
calm. The Yankee known to be always
on the go. Hence the facts which DR..
Browne presents are of greater value
on this than on the other side of the
sea He finds that sleeplessness is
largely on the increase over there. No
one doubts that it is sadly true of us
here. He discovered by careful inquiry
that school children are sleepless be-
cause they are 50 excited during the
day learning their lessons. Many ia k
in their sleep about them. Others not
only talk, but walk in their sleep. And
The extent of this great evil is found to
be greater the further the inquiry is
pushed. 1t is dreadful evil, which il
is next to impossible to remedy or allie.
viate.
WhyP Because parents and children
and teachers prefer the evil to the sim.
pie remedy. All the three classes just
named will not use the means to pre-
serve their own lives and the lives OF
others. Parents complain of the slow
progr, IS of their children, and wish
them TO be c.owded and crammed.
Children do not know the danger, and
their ambition is reused to excel.
Teachers stimulate the school as their
obvious duty, and rejoice when the
scholar at the risk of his life makes a
pr ect recitation. Studies are null
tiplitd immoderately. Books are taken
home at night and the child is porting
over them when h or she ought be il
bed and asleep. The harp of a thou.
sand Strings is out of tune. Discord
reigns in the whole inner department.
And the primary education of nearly
til, whole OF our people is given or
these high-pressure principles, regard
less of the inevitable consequences Of
this sin and folly. Thus in early life
tn seeds OF future mischief are sown
The overwrough brain Of the child de-
vclOps its natural results when the mar
sum $ his pos ton in the national
army of working citizens. He may be in
BUSINESS tradc,l tiers, he may he a pas, OF
o. bank president, he has in him tn,
tilint of tia disease that kept him awak,
of nights when he was school-boy.
The visions that haunted lis sleepless
pillow then, come back now, and if he
gets asleep his dreams are of the multi.
plcation table. Probably his digestion
is out of order and he nev,r thinks that
his head and his stomach have any
ailinities If he is minister he la.
pray ers made for him and takes vaca
lion. He recuperates and resumes. bil
like the animal who loves 10 reclne in
tine mixture of earth AMI water, h. Is
son back in his old ways. 1t is Sc
with WON, wori with cares of house
Ike ping, the wives Of farmers and
others who have hard work TO do
Ambitious to save and lay up. unable q
UNWILLING TO have 'help." worried nni