San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-09-29
HASTE MAKES WASTE.
Toney Discusses the Causes OF Premature
Decay of Americans

look and Air of flaccid fatigue exhibited
by American men in the prime OF life
and have attributed 1t to the failure Il
lay aside the cares OF business Ions
enough to take exercise and recreation
The mind of the average American /,
entirely absorbed by his business, and il
upon constant strain all the year round
This intentness upon business is written
In legible characters upon every feature
OF his face. When the mind Is long in,
tently occupied with but one subject
the wear and tear of mind is much
greater than IL ia where ii is occupied
with variety OF subjects, since. in pass.
ing from one subject TO anO Their the ten.
sion OF the mind IL relaxed and curiosity
| kept in full activity. Mental anxiety
and bother have an injurious effect upon
the vital juices of the body, and even il
| they do not maze men confirmed inya.
lids, they impaTt TO them an aged look
and an appearance Of flaccid fatigue.
| The fatigue OF the mind Is followed
through sympathy by bodily lassitude
and llstlessness and premature Old age.
| so far Os mere looks go.
The face loses its fresh and plump
look and grows peaked; crows feet make
| their appearance under the eyes; the
forehead becomes wTinkled, the ewes
lose something of their original bright
and cheerful look, and even the voice
lacks the ring OF heartiness and strength.
Absorption by the cares of business in
sensibly produces gravity OF cOunte-
nance that might well be mistaken for
settled melancholy; laughter seems
forced; vivacity is unbussiness like, and
recreation is not to be thought OF since
IL interferes with business to speak
more to the point, it intcrferes with the
accumulation of property, which is the
summum bOnum, the chiefest good, in
the estimation of the average American.
His creed seems TO be embodied in the
following lines:
dimes and dollars, dollars and dimes.
The want OF money is the worst OF
crimes"
This creed Is forever ringing in his
ears.
The American Ia full of the spirit OF
unrest because he Ia constantly strain
ing every nerve and energy TO add to
his property and to surround himself
with material comforts. lie can
scarcely be said to have a
"local habitation," any abiding place;
since he will change his dOmicile at any
moment If he fancies that he can make
a larger amount of money in another
state. He will sell the Old homestead,
where the happy days Of his childhood
were passed and where his fathers and
mothers bones repose, in tn. quiet
graveyard, beneath the overhanging
branches of the cedar trees which he
himself planted-sever all the ties OF
life, long friendship, and remove among
strangers. The American is locomotive
in his ispositiOn-ready to move at any
| time. He rarely feels that nc ia settled
nor does he take root in the soil
This train of thought was suggested
to me by seeing a merchant hard at work
last Sunday posting his books He is not
over 30 years of age, but YOU would take
him to be 30. He has no me for recre
alton and amusement, and no doubt de.
| plOres the necessity of having to leave
his business to satisfy the cravings o.
| appetite.
| MOnO-manla is usually the outcome o.
| intent thought upon and absorption by
a single subject. and this form of insan.
ity is but too common in the
United States. A large mum
Der OF mOnO-maniacs re from the
business class. Then softening o
the brain comes from laying too heavy
burthen upon it and never allOwinl
1t a vacation for rest and recreation. A
| very ldTR6 proportion Oh l0e cases o.
sOftening of the brain occur among bust
ness men.
The old adage that haste make
waste" Is true as the gospel. Haste t,
grow rich prevents men from taking
time for amusement and recreation, ant
the consequent strain upon the minC
wastes both mind and body. What Is
man profited, II he secures riches, but II
so doing, sacrifice his health anC
shOrtens his life by the constant strain
ing Of his mind and body? None, saw,
fools, underrate the value of money. bu
wise men never desire to be burthene,
with enormous riches, because Of the
increase OF care which they occasion
Jay Gould can use only a small portion
OF his annual income ministering to hi
bodily and personal comforts. So tina
the excess OF his income over what h
expends is really useless TO him, and h,
can derive from it, no rational satisfac
ton, unless he should disburse such ex
cess in helping those in need. Then, n
Washington Irving said: 1.-The shrOut
contains no pocket for carrying on
money with us to the next world
When death claims the forfeit Of on
| lives, we must leave our property
behind us, and go out of thu
world poor. Our riches may be tn,
means OF running our children by plung
ing them into the whirlpool OF dlssipa