The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-11-30
A CURE FOR OVERWORK.
Il Was 81 Severe Ore. bat Proved
ProItahIe In the end.

81 used to be one OF those chaps who
try to kill themselves with overwork,"
said hale and hearty business man of
sixty odd years, but before l had quite
accomplished Il fatal termination, as so
many OF my brethren have done and are
doing, l found l was injurins my bust
ness by 1t and quit"
"Iow can man injurc his business
by devoting himself TO it completely"
asked i tired looking party. That is
prcpostcrous.''
SIS it,? smiled the hale and hearty
man.
''Well, listen q moment, and when you
have heard maybe You VIII feel called
upon to think it not so excessively pre-
posterous as it seems. Thirty years ago,
at which time l had built up business
that was worth $4,000 Il year to me,
was so overworked that l was almost a
shadow. My digestion and my nerves
were gone, | could scarcely sleep, and
the little spells of rest | took when my
wife and the doctor forced me to do it
were of no use ut ALL Lord knows how
long / would have stood it, but the bust
ness was growing, and | was making
more money every day. and I seemed to
think that that was justification for the
loss of everything else. save honor. l
had one big manufacturing firm whose
president threw into my hands yearly
contracts that brought me at least half
my profits, and | was about to receive
one that would net me $4,000 and great
ly increase the yearly business. The
president had been & friend of my IA
Their, and it was or this account he had
given me first chance at his work, ether
things being equal. | had not seen him
for a couple Of years, and just before
awarding the big contract he wrote to
me to come to the city whore he lived to
talk the matter over. worked harder
than ever TO get everything up before
taking four or five days out of a busy
time and rode all night TO the city. I
was at his office when he got there, and,
by Jove, he didn't know me!
"'My dear boy ne said when l told
him who | was, you are killing yourself
with overwork. l know all the symp-
toms, and | know Il dozen men who have
gone just the way you are going
"'Oh, guess not laughed. I may
be working pretty hard, but I'm young
and have n good constitution, and think
1 can stand it
"ILe was Il testy old fellow, and he ar
gued with me on the subject until he lost
his temper.
81 tell You, Fred he said at last. 4
know what I'm talking about. and | will
not be il party to your self destruction.
You've got more work than You can do
already, and I'll give that contract to one
of the other firms that are after it and
give them, besides one-half of tie bust
ness I've been letting you have. That
will give you q good deal less to do, and
when you have pulled yourself together
again and given that good constitution
OF yours Glance I'll see what we can
do for you
'Wcll. it almost took my breath away,
but lie was rot to be moved to 4 recon-
sideration, and | went back home with
out the contract. suppose might have
worked harder than ever to get other
business hut the old gcnticInan's method
of getting mt rae brought me to my senses,
and | concluded that when n man was
working so hard he WAS iniu!ing Ills bust
ness probably il WAS time for him to take
a rest And take n rest | did, for n whole
year. | worked, of course, but without
crowdins things, and when | went to see
the president to have Il talk with him
about 4 larger contract than ever he
didn't know me again. was so much i'm
proved in appearance, and when | told
him who | was he not only gave me the
work, but insisted on my taking him out
to dinner as Il fee for his medical ad-
vice.'-Washingto Star.