The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-03-05
MnAerm ever. Strain.

! In ;ic days Of our ancestors. when
n,lr grandi;h"r9, and perhaps even he
J fathers O: some 0i H.. obtained their
CduraIion mainly during t!c iEvi-c"G-
atiug days OF Writer. v I"n the season
WAS unrrnp;tnII.S for thc plnW, ana
| their >ciIou!-linu~t WERE built Oi mate
riaiS which their uwu hard hands lad
h.,Wn from the for" {, over mental
strain from loo nl:r:l study was but Il
Imvtiiral possibility. aud un;irrpowrr
was one OF those fabulous %"t5 Of Ike
imagination fer which thci: incrtdu-
LOUIS heads ana hands provided 10
Pantheon. Thsir orgnnisms were har-
denc'l and strengthened 10 their sur
ruundings by ample sunlight and fresh
air, pure, plain food (wcll rel;Shrd),
timely and untlrpr2ssing recreation
and ample rest after each days work
for mind and body.
Our fathers lacked, and they did not
require the wis.lnm Of Scli-carc that
we must have in order 20 survive, if
duty's demands in Or time arc all
swcTc,l. With all the a'ld4tl stiniu
lants to overmcntal activity about Us,
which did not press upon our fathers,
it is possibility aud a certainty (un-
less we are wiser than they we're for
us to run or race much more swiftly
and perish sooner llran they could
have done under the mcn;al pressure
OF their time. Their environments;
conserved their powers, ours tend to
destroy. The necessities Of existence
imposed upon them more personal
physical effort. They did largely Il di-
vided mental and physical work, and
they could not il they would 50 readily
run all night and scarcely note the
flpeting hours as we can. We have
reached time when, in view of the
many Influences about us tending 10
accelerate our mental movements, il
seems far less tigurativc:y than hGrctu-
fore to be but a step i'rom the cradle to
the grave. Most of lis are willing and
are probably anxious TO 60 to heaven
want to keep out OF the grave as long
as we can.
Ovcr-prcssure is the power which
bears us there. How may We have the
power to resist this pressure to the far
lhpst natural extent? The problem ni
life i, in lhis question, and the prob
lem Of health upon which depends the
power of body and mind is involved in
it likewise.
We make provision for action, al
ways action, in our social, political,
and educational organizations, and rc-
form and progress and ncrcr rest are
our watch-w0rhs ; and yet our frame is
so constituted that adequate rest is umc
of its chief organic needs ami essential
preliminarieS TO progress. "iirc& lii
lures sweet restores, balmy slccp,' l.
rot courted as she oU@ht to be.
":Slcep! balm of hurt Elin,ls! natures
second course sore labOr'S bath
Sleep, that knits up the rave!cd sleeve
of care" and compcn<atcs the waite
and wear ana worry OF our MENTAL life,
is too much ignored in all Of ouT al
engagements for work OF mind. Our
amuscments and recreatious, too, are
mainly provided for during hour;
which were best devoted to rest and
sleep.
To Us the night cometh not now, IL
in the ancient days, when no man c;n
work night with us when the brain
ouGht to be at rest, las become the
chief time Of action. At that part of
The day when the heart;hr0'v5 should
lie lcssImcd and the ovcriaXcd organ
allowed q little lrro:c between lis
beats, lis rnl+ations are accelerated tu
meet the imperative calls fer blood, Of
IN unieslinS and unrcStfnl brain
whose ideationaI cells and percipicut
c"nteis arc Kept III ceaScless activity
by tie demands Of la!e school work,
midnight committee meetings of mcr-
chants, manufacturers, manipnla!0rs
Of markets and managers Of 1.-The ma-
chine' of party politics. 70 these we
add the neural prod and whip and spur
Of artificial, alcoholic (and even tea
and coffee stimulation ut the wrong
time of day, when an inclination to
repose and not over action OF the ner-
vous system and mind should be ell
IcOuragcd.
DR.. {. II. UEghcs, IN Ptrcno'ogic0l
JOUrN0i