The morning call., 1893-11-19
How Intellectual Health
May Be Retained.
VIEWS OF LEADING WRITERS
An Octogenarian's Advice to Brain
Workers - Edward Everett
Hale on Diet.

what would you advise a person who is
overwhelmed with work and worry to do
to make the most of himself?
/ have number of opinions on this SUBJ
ject from famous people away from Wash
lngton. One of the best is from Neal Dow,
who now, though nearly 80 years of age.
carries on an active intellectual life. 1
give his letter in full. 1t reads:
PORTLAND, Me-. Sept Is, 1898.
Dear Sir: You ask me for my secret
for Intellectual health and prevention Of
worry. There is no secret about it, except
don't worry" Let what may come, bear
it philosophical!y and don't worry. Wor-
Tying won't help it. Help it if you can
if not don't worryl There is ten times as
much suffering from misfortunes antici-
pated that never come than from those
which overtake US. Don't worry; submit
quietly to the inevitab bic.
| As to my habits of work, | am always
busy with books or pen or exercise. / do
not Over-fatigue myself with books that
require great concentration. When the
mind begins to flag l take a lighter book.
| do not write TO WEAKNESS. Itake walk
or drive or an amusing book. 1 lose no
| time.
Yes, L can throw my work off when 1
| leave Il and wish to do so. but often when
tired by the pen l lay it aside for a walk,
and on the tramp block out what 1 after
ward put upon paper or into speech
| which am engaged TO make
| You ask as TO insomnia. | sleep we'll
| though often in bed lay out the plan of
! speech or of what am engaged in writing,
| but when the time comes for sleep L throw
| off all that, which l do by bringing back to
| mind wildly some pleasant scene of hich
have met many in my travels at home
| and abroad.
AS to advice for BRAIN workers, would
say one should not permit himself TO be
overworked, because the eud will sooner
| come when there's more of it. Do not
overeat. Be careful to avoid that; take
nothing second time that the digestive
machinery does not kindly accept. Let
conscience, reason, common-sense and
knowledge, that every intelligent person
should have, and not fashion or custom,
control US in all matters relating to what's
right or wrong; TO what is best for us per-
sonally-and as to ones duty sOcially-and
in every relation ln life, so that our lnfu-
euce, whatever il may be in morals, in poll
ties aud what not, shall be always on the
side of right, and never on any pretext or
pTetense on the side OF wrong. Respect
fully yours. NEAL Dow.
Women are naturally more nervous th an
| men, and the women workers of the
United States are increasing so fast that
with interest. Jennie June CroIy is one of
the first women writer's of the United
States. For thirty.elght years she has
been attached to the editorial staff of
newspapers and magazines. During this
time she has taken care of a sick husband.
had six children and made competency.
! During all these years she has never failed
| TO keep an engagement aud has never been
out OF the office more than two weeks at
time. She is the originator of syndicate
mo- n "a in fho 1Init
her letters have been read more widely
| perhaps than those of any other woman
| writer for newspaper. | give her letter
verbatim:
NEW YORK. n. Y. Sept II, 1893.
My Dear SIR: think have worked in
| the face of as many obstacles as usually
fall to the lot of women. Large family,
small means; a husband who never saw
an entirely we'll day. and was an invalid
for twelve years of his later life. Add to
these an imperfect equipment. which must
| be constantly supplemented by special en-
deav0r, and short sight, which made the
acquisition of material for n ewspaper work
extremely difficult at times. and YOU have
what have proved the more or less hard
conditions under which l have had to
| work for thirtyfve years or more. If l
have conquered these with any success it is
because loved my work. and was always
| thankful for it. l never felt afraid of any
thing but losing it, 1t was the source Of
my independence, of comfort for my chill
| dreD. OF communication with the world of
thought aud activity, in which alone there
| is satisfaction. Personally / found it
| necessary to be very regular and very te m
perate. to get all the fresh air and all the
walking exercise possible. l always sleep
with open windows, summer and winter.
| take\ cold bath every morning, and [
wear Wool, thin in summer and warmer in
winter, over the surface of the body.
do not eat candy or icecream. and 1
drink as little ice water as possible. My
| digestion has always been weak and diff
cult. and keep the digestive apparatus at
| as even temperature as possible. Atthe
| same time have few fads about eating or
drinking. [ have little liking for anything
except fruit. and prefer to eat meat only
once day. and then in small quantities.
l eat whole meal or what is called 'health
| food" bread.
The great sins against ourselves are
hurry. worry and dissatisfaction. They
prey upon and destroy the peace of our
lives. The secret of content is to eliminate
the source of our discomfort. We shall
generally find that 1t lies in our own
| selves; in our fears. our vanity, our sus-
picions. our jealousles, our unworthy or
| unnecessary desires. We take ourselves
too seriously-the rest of the world and
our relation to it, not seriously enough.
The one qualification for success above
all others is steadfastness. 1t never fails
of its fruit.
| one OF my greatest regrets now is that
never 10 all my life have / cultivated sleep
| enough l have not averaged SIX hours
out of the tw enty-fOur. and l know that it
would have been better if it had been
seven or eight. Anxiety is the foe of
sleep; so is irregularity. bad air, eating at
night and continuous brain work before
retiring. Happy. tranquil evenings and
fresh air are the best friends OF sleep.
| JENNIE JUNE.
l have just received letter from Ed
ward Everett Hale giving me several ref
| erences for opinions of his upon this SUBJ
ject. l find, however, most excellent
| letter which be wrote about a decade ago
when he was, as he is now, in the prime
| of intellectual health. 1t was to the editor
of the Herald of Health, and was entitled.
How Writer Should Live" His words
as TO writer can be equally applied to all
brain-workers, and the letter is full OF
meat. He says:
l believe In breakfast very thoroughly
and In having good breakfast. / have
lived In Paris month at time and de-
test the French practice of substituting for