Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-04-24
FRET AND WORRY.

EhEI AMI WUKRY.
The Most Subtle Enemies of Suc-
cess in This World.
The most subtle enemy to success is
fretting. At the same time it Is the
most plausible. Not the idle, i'll
tempered indulgence which we call
'scolding," but the vague worry that
finds ready excuse in fatigue or i'll
health or in anxiety about "the meat
which perisheth;" for not even the
genius is above substantial necessities.
1t is not possible to do ones best work
while discomfort is sapping the vigor
OF the mind. Preoccupation is fatal to
honest thinking What sort of mental
work can we expect Of a man who Is
engaged in taking account of the
stock Of his own grievances? And yet
there are plenty of men and women
who begin each days task under Just
such conditions and wonder why they
fail. Signing over things that have been
left undone and shrinking from the
host of duties advancing upon them
they stand in pause where they shall
first begin, and both neglect"
Untrammeled by worry, fretting,
borrowing trouble-whatever you
choose to call it-life would be re-
lieved of half its friction. 1t is like the
dust In the wheel or dust In the watch.
From whatever cause, however ex-
cusable, 1t is Q WEAKNESS and snare.
Hands stiffened with cold are not deft.
The voice roughened with weeping Ia
incapable OF pleasant tones In either
case the remedy suggests itself. A So
ciety woman noted for her kind and
charitable temper was asked how she
managed to be 30 amiable under all
circumstances IN this gossiping,
naughty world. ut is too much
trouble to find fault" she made
answer. II should always be unhappy
II thought Ill Of my friends,. and life
Is too short for that" Another woman
who lived by the use Of her facils pen
was heard to say that although she had
taken many lessons in poverty and dis
appointment, she could not afford to
be hl-natured or Respondent because
she would be untitled to earn her own
living II she were unhappy.
The farmer puts in his crops "come
wind or come weather." and he who
lives by the sweat of his brow must
inure himself TO every variety Of
change.
"A merry heart goes oil the day,
Your sad tires in o mile"
II takes sunshine to print photo
graph. Cheeriness will bring out the
best that Is In man. More. It will
permeate his work. Did you ever notice
the difference in the sound Of the same
message delivered by two personsf
The writings OF the prophet jeremiah
have 30 strong flavor Of melancholy
that his very name is the synonym OF
dependency. We find there no lack Of
strength or symmetry or gentleness,
but the healthy mind would vastly
rather read the same message in the
prophecy Of Isaiah. There is the ring
OF promise in it. Isaiah seemed to take
for granted that his expostulation
would not be in vain. jeremiah, on
the other hand, scarcely appeared to
hope that his admonition would be
needed. It is simply the man that
shines out in his work
Miss Alcott Is one of the few women
who could 30 divest herself Of all irrita-
ton and discomfort as to be able to
write healthily and brightly under the
most trying circumstances. Through
out her books-even in her pathetic
journal-there is a vein Of CHEEKY cour-
age which certainly was not the natur-
al result of her early life..
Borrowed trouble is as hard to bear
In anticipation as real trouble. A little
girl was given cart and pony and
taught to drive. The first time she
went. out by herself her eye ran down
40 wide village street. busy with all
krts OF vehicles, and the sight overcame
her with alarm. How could she ever
get safely through such tangle? she
asked herself, and dropping the rehis,
she Icreamed with fright, A passing
neighbor went to her relief and sought
to quiet her fears. 81 am SO afraid to
drive through the crowd" she answered.
But there is no crowd" the friend
urged. "These wagons are long way
off and they will only come to meet you
a few at time. Besides, some Of them
are going the other way" Thus en-
couraged, the child drove on in
confidence unframed. So we, see.
ing all that lies before us, fancy
II already here, and, cowardlike,
refuse to be comforted. Much of this
may be endured, much can be cured
Indeed, l am inclined to think that
after all our apprehensions are fictitious.
We gauge our obligations and RESPONSE.
bilities rather by our own estimate OF
our own value than by the positive, ex.
pressed demands which others make
upon our time and service. There is an
insidious qualification in the feeling
that on ones self depends the machinery
OF an important undertaking. Suppose
it were true. Suppose we are necessary
TO society to-day; it is humiliatine
thought that were we to drop out to
MORROW another would speedily b