The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-11-19
AMERICANS A NERVOUS PEOPLE.
Causes Which Account for ~uoh u Com
dition of Things-Our Pleasures.


dition of Things-Our Pleasures.
Disguise it as we may, the conviction is
forced upon US that we are Il nervous people.
There are many causes which may account
for this. The constant change IT rircum-
stances, individual responsibility anil irregu-
lar climate conditions are no doubt largely
responsible for this condition of things. Be
sides this, the political atmosphere of our
government is constantly changing. In lands
where the tyrant flaunts in purple, where
constitutions arc never altered or amended
where the traditions bequeathed from sire 10
son dominate all aspirations for newer and
better order Of things. there is not much OPP
portunity for the display of any qualities eX-
cept those negative ones that sap the springs
of national life and make mems spirits rest i'll
idlenesS. But here, where every man, so to
speak is q law unto himself, where old forms
are constantly changing, giving place to the
new, and where allegiance to parties is not
permitted to interfere with the recognized
necessity for fresh methods of government,
the pace Is one which often tells and becomes
noticeable, not in n deterioration of power,
but in a waste of those vital energies which
make the exercise of that power continuous.
Another trouble with us is that, as the cele
brated English wit said of his countrymen,
they took their pleasures sadly, 50 we take
our work seriously; especially when we are
dealing with little things we put such heavy
load in our spiritual guns that when We fire
them off we are injured ~ the recoi. We
would aim cannon at mari, which Is only
worthy of pistol shot
The truth of the proverb that the child is
father to the man is seen in this connection
every day The African baby has about it a
preternatural solemnity and looks at every
thing musingly and wonderingly. The Amer
lean baby, on the other hand, is yociferous i'll
all its expressions Of joy and sorrow. 1t cries
more vigorously than any other: it breaks its
toys with more enthusiasm; it kicks against
actual and ideal pricks more strcuuuusly and
when the man usIIrpS its place lie follows the
same fashion with adult toys. On the stock
exchange Inc worries because he sold ont too
soon or too late; in the store he fretS because
the price of merchandise has been affected by
some political struggle; i'll the pulpit he chafes
because his sermons are not So good as those
that he preached last year; in the study lie is
worried because some other author has caught
the breeze of popular favor.
And i'll this constant waste of nervous force
the man is largely aided because of the char
acter of his country. 1t is big with resources,
and he il careless not only of health but of
money. He does not learn by experience, as
men would i'll some quiet and easy going com
monwealth. The failure of to-day, instead of
giving iiiIh Caultoil- OilS inspires hiil 10 tue
performance of some greater deed. And 50
he draws on his reserve power. until at last,
when his mental notes have gone 70 protest
and he IS forced to sit down and check his
balances, it is too late To rctrace his steps and
he falls into physical and spiritual bank
ruptcy. Not alone are men guilty of this; 80
are women. They string themselves up to
concert pitch; they are sgpcrlativc in every
thing; they exaggerate trilicS; their streams
are raging torrents; their mnchillS are noun
tains, and they age ami withor before their
time. The rcCkleSsueSs with which all tread
the paths of modern life i seen every day; it
blightS the fairrst hopes, il casts a shadow ON
the brightcs landscape; and unless wisdom
and moderation come t. the rescue il IS Ger
tain to eII III philadelphia Record