The Elbert County tribune., 1903-11-19
Modern Rush
and Some of It's
Remedies -:

1 -
illusion that mental energy
UoN is drawn from an mex
haustible source. The In
creaslng complexity of living. the un-
ceasing demands, social. Intellectual
and moral. made upon the average cit
izen. the very glare and noise of large
cities. all these must either blunt the
senses Into apathy and dullness. or
keep them at constant. irritnted strain.
No wonder Carpenter writes upon CIV
ilizntion and Its Cure" and that Wag
ner's La Vie Simple should be so wide
ly read and translated into various
tongues. This is mere existence" he
says, NO time to breathe. not an hour
for self-recollection. for exchanging
quiet word. No. this is no life
The drain upon mental energy. the
complcxity and haste OF an industrial
and commercial age. the insatiate and
insane craving for material nccumula-
tion. the fever of ambition and rivalry.
OF overreaching and outshining which
have attacked even our women, all
these exact their penalties. The
proverb is proving itself. when put TO
the test. The more man has, the
moro he wants"
Too little is said or the social read
justments necessary for living at such
speed. We are careful OF our delicnte
mechanical Instruments; we use them
guardcdly; we are watehful of repairs:
and yet the most delicate instruments
Of all, the mind and spirit. are treated
with almost criminal neglect. The de
mnnds made upon them are endless,
and rest and whoever heard OF
resting the spirit. or of caring for the
mind unless by overworlSlng It?
Wagner's picture OF the wedding. in
the Complicated Life. with Its inter
minable dcfle. of visitors. its loads OF
presents, its caterers. decorators. fur
nishers. its preparatory days, spent
with tallors. dressmakers. jewelers. and
cabinet makers, in antiquity shops. and
the apartments of painters and house
builders. its endless ceremonies Of calls.
introductions. balls and dinners. the
frenetic sending and receiving of notes,
congratulations, refusals, excuses-this
is apparently a realistic picture for all
lands. Alusl that every house has not
its single room which is the sanctuary
OF quiet, where the octosenarian sits
and dlspenses wisdom.
"She was Just short of eighty. and
having suffered and worked much. she
now saw things with that calm surety
which is life-giying. There in her arm
chair she sat, adoring the silence of the
long, meditatiye hours"
Rest little" she used TO say to the
poor, harassed lovers. REST a little
and think together; belong TO each
other; that's the principal thing. All
the rest Is nothing; II isn't worth no
tice."
Every city begins to have Its havens
OF peace. Far up on the outskirts Of
New York. set back I'm huge garden
surrounded by high wall. stands n
convent for retreats, overlooking the
Hudson River. Entrance is gained by
ringing bell at the outer wall, and
once inside no futile words are spoken.
The place is managed by IL community
OF French nuns, who give retreats
throughout the year. There are sea-
sons for retreats for domestic servants.
for shopgirls. for ladies, for young girls
preparing for the first communion.
times when seventy-tive to Il hundred
people move in silence and orderliness
almost imperceptibly through the still
expanse of the great grounds. The
rest of the yenr the house Is open TO all
who want its peace and stiffness. No
questions are asked. no religious exer-
cises are demanded, although the of
fees and services in the chapel are con
tinuous. Bit by bit the habit OF peace
and meditation permeates the visitor.
the world wheels slower through space,
and the long days are full of grateful
recollection.
Farther up the Hudson. and under
the Jurisdiction of Bishop Potter there
is the new building of the fathers OF
an order whose work is the same; that
Of carrying on missions and retreats
for the spirlt-weary. OF another and
sadder order is the new psycho-patho-
logical laboratory, now attached TO the
New York Infirmary for Women and
Children. Here are brought and treat
ed the helpless victims of mental
strain. The State of New York now
takes care of 26,9SS insane patients.
Of which 1900 are drawn from the
commercial and educational classes.
Only within the last decade, however.
has 1t been considered necessary. in
this country. to have IA laboratory for
the study OF abnormal mental life lead
ing to such deplorable results. In
France. Janet, has long been expert
menting with and successfully treat
ing the initial stages of insanity. and
in Germany. Brener. Freud, Ranschen-
berg and Hatos carry on the same
work. In these laboratories experts
work upon the victims of alcoholic
amnesia, physic epilepsy. Oppressive
deluslonal states. and functional motor
disturbances. Here the hopeless army
lf Aita mn lat..a t..la IIlrkli a sxI.nlI