The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-09-13
1t is the Pace that Kills.

Every owner of a fine horse is aware
of the fact that the utmost care must
be taken Of it in order to keep the an
imal in prime condition for the work
he has to do. He is most particular
with regard to his feeding, grooming
and exercising Of it, and sees that it
is carefully guarded against both heat
and cold, SO as to insure its perfect
health and It's ability to make good
record on the race track. Then, too,
he knows that, although it is possible
for his horse to run or to trot short
distance in very brief time, it would
be Its ruin if the attempt we're made
: to keep up that pace for long dis
tance, and so humanity and self-in
terest alike. forbid him to make the
experiment. But, while man be-
slows all his care upon dumb animal
that can at best serve him only few
years, he too frequently forgets to ex-
ercise the same care, wisdom and
moderation regarding himself, al
.nough it is even more necessary
would lie preserve the health Of his
mind and body down TO old age. We
think, il pitiful to see a broken, down
race horse, that has won such fame its
owner can neither resolve to kill it or
to sell it for common work, turned out
to Craze until death mercifully comes
to end its suiferings, but is it not far
more pitiful to see, as We SO frequent
~ do, the premature decrepitude OF
men who have gone through life at
such pace, that they are broken in
mind and body long before reaching
the end Of the racep
We have many proverbs inculcating
the doctrine that it is better to enjoy
life while,we may, and that We might
IS well "eat, drink and be merry
since life is so brief; but most Of them
omit to mention that for some Of US
there is ssa hereafter even in this
life, when. .sssour pleasant vices are
made instruments to scourge US, !, and
when we must reap the harvest from
The plentiful crop Of 'swild oats We
3sowed in our spring time. But it is
not. always necessary for man to be
old and decrepit to come to sense Of
the folly Of living at the top Of his
speed. Sometimes the realization Of
ii comes to him in the midst Of the
race, when be feels how inadequate to
satisfy are the pleasures for which he
is paying SO dear. We think Of Ham
letas a man in the early prime Of life,
and yet nothing could be more utterly
sad than his exclamation:
"Oh, God! God!
How weary, stale, fiat and Improbable
Seem to me all the uses of this world J"
And still it is doubtful if ever those
words iell from the lips Of a Booth or
a Kean without finding an echo in the
heart Of more than one man in their
immense audience; and not always OF
men Who had drained the cup Of plea
sure to the dregs, either. Sometimes
the dissatisfaction is caused by the
contrast between their own mode Of
living and that of some friend, who
has had a higher conception Of pleas
nre chan the one they have set before
themselves, and who is living an hon.
ored, useful and happy life, widely at
variance with their own. Perhaps
this friend has at one time or another
yentured a word Of remonstrance, or.
gentle warning, which, though appar-
emily unheeded at the moment, has
left its impression upon their heart,
and all the more influences them be-
cause the lips that uttered them are
forever silenced. Unhappily, tempo
rary pauses in the headlong course are
but brief and infrequent, and are fol-
lowed by wider speed than ever, be-
cause Of the desire to Danish thought,
and because they feel that it is not
worth while, or that it is now too late
to make any change in course SO long
pursued.
Nor is it always in the sense we
have been considering that a man may
live too. fast, and so break down in
health and mind long before old age
comes. The desire Of pecuniary gain,
or the love Of fame, or the goadings of
ambition, urge many one forward at
speed far beyond that which he is
able to sustain, and so exhaust his vi
tai force long before the struggle is
over. Even though the motives which
impel mar to overwork are perfectly
pure and commendable, he is in a
y