The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-09-04

ing Washington this summer for his
Oyster Bay vacation, some friends
expressed their sympathy for MIN
because Of the great burden of his
arduous tasks and the stupendous
problems pressing upon him. "O9,
do not waste any sympathy on me, .
he said, ~ have enjoyed every min
ute Of my stay in Washington. I
have had perfectly corking time.'
Most men would take the presl-
dency so seriously they would be so
weighed down with its tremendous
responsibility and so anxious all the
time lest things should not go right,
lest they should make some terrible
mistake, that they would not really
enjoy themselves very much. .Sensi-
tiveness, timidity, would keep many
president from any real enjoyment be-
cause of an embarrassing self-con-
ciousness as to how they were deport-
ing themselves, how others were re-
garding them. They would live in
constant dread Of the cartoon, carl
cature, and criticism Of the press.
But Mr.. Roosevelt always gives the
impression that he is having good
time. He says he gets great deal
of fun as he goes along, from the hu-
morous and ludicrous things that are
constantly happening, and that there
is plenty Of it in his home life.
When your husband or father
comes home again with thunder
cloud on his face, looking as thoue
he thought he were Atlas carrying e
world on his shoulders, just laugh him
out Of his seriousness; tell him how
President Roosevelt manages to carry
the responsibilities Of nation and
still keep fresh, sunny, and happy.
The president has certainly given
American business and professional
men remarkable example Of a man
performing the duties and carrying
the burdens Of great Office without
losing his elasticity or buoyancy OF
mind or body.
Some Of US are beginning to realize
that we have taken life too seriously !;
that we have not had enough play in
our lives: that we have not had half
enough fun. Many business men see
the fallacy of working too many
hours day.
Formerly men thought they must
spend most or all Of the daylight
hours in working. Intense applica-
ton to business had become almost a
religion. But now they are begin
ming to learn that it is efficiency, men
tai vigor, freshness Of mind and body,
and not necessarily long hours, that
do things; and that the mental vigor,
freshness, and energy which produce
efficient work are impossible when the
body is weary and the brain is fag-
ged: that mental robustness means
physical robustness. So there has been
a steady shortening Of the working
hours Of men Of affairs, and an IN
creasing Of the play hours, just IN
proportion to the Importance and ef-
fc;nncv IF their work and response
bility.
Multitudes of men now find that
they can accomplish very much more
in a year by spending part Of the
time which they used to put into
work in playing golf, tennis, or IN
some other recreation, such as yacht
ing or flying about the country IN
an automobile,
There are plenty of business men
in this country at the head of great
establishments who get through an
enormous amount of work, who do not
spend more than three or four hours
a day in their Offices, and who fre-
ouently take long vacations. They
find that good deal Of play and mix
ing much with the world not only I'M
proves their health and multlplles
their efficiency, but also gives them a
broader, saner outlook.
There is no greater deluslon than
that we can accomplish more by
working great many hours, strain
inc mind and body to the limit Of
endurance, than by working fewer
hours with less strain, less fatigue,
but with greater vigor, greater inten-
sity.
Great efficiency, vigorous mental
concentration, are impossible when
the mind is overstrained, fatigued, or
whom we do not have sufficient re-