Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-08-31
HIGH-PRESSURE LIVING.
'The Best Use of Life is to Spend it
in Ardent Endcuvop."
(Portland Oregonian.l

In warning his hearers at the
Gladstone Chautauqua to shun the
"high-pressure life," Dr.. William S.
Sadler followed an example which is
respectable and not altogether un-
wise. Most Of our writer's upon
health recommend less hurry and
heat in our daily lives. Worry is
not desirable for anybody, and years
OF unbroken toll under the lash OF
| ambition. necessity or habit will de-
stroy happiness If not health. The
story of the banker who for more
than thirty years went to his Office
at a certain hour every morning,
worked until night without inter-
mission and returned home at the
close Of business to refreshing sleep,
taking no holidays and keeping al
ways in perfect health, cannot be
deemed typical. This man, if he ever
existed, was saved from physical
danger by his regular habits. But
while his health escaped injury, the
same cannot be said Of his intelli-
gence, his interest in life, his higher
sentiments. Even the great Darwin
tells us or himself that his unremit-
ting devotion to science destroyed
his love OF music and poetry. The
lncesSant counting OF money and
computation OF interest for thirty
years could hardly do less,
1t may be suggested that strenu-
Gus toll Is not the worst enemy to
health and efficiency there is in the
world. Mental competency is more
impaired by lackadaisical lingering
over task than by concentrated
effort. The best work Of the world
IS invariably done under pressure.
Matters Of mere routine can perhaps
DC attended to very we'll when a
person Is In semi-slumbcr, but no
work which demands thought can
be achieved properly without en-
pending effort at white heat. The
writer for the press, 10 cite humble
instance, seldom interests his read
ers until he has kindled something
| OF fire in his brain. The poet must
roll his eyes in fine frenzy, he
must learn in suffering what he
| teaches in song. The mathcmati-
clan loses himself completely in his
| profound mcditations. Many OF The
great ones. Abel, Galois, Rcmann,
nave been consumed in youth by the
inner flame as if they had been a
| Byron or Keats
For the ordinary routine worker
IL IS wen enough to cultivate a GER
| tain serenity. The precepts not to
toll very hard or very long at a
time may enhance his health and
happiness if he obeys them, but on
the other hand If he does so he will
meyer rise very high nor will the
work lie does attain any great i'm
| portance. An accomplished task
never contains more than is put into
It, If the worker puts fire and en-
crgy into what he does, those Gle
ments will show themselves there
and mankind will value the work
accordingly. Perhaps, after all, the
best use one can make Of his life is
to spend 1t in ardent endeavor.
The remark that calmnrss Is the
one virtue which stagnant pool
possesses is not devoid OF instruc-
t1on. The man who is too calm is
pretty likely to grow noxious vcge-
tation Of one sort or another. Per-
haps the warning to avoid high
pressure Is not the best that Dr..
Sadler might have given us. Would
1t not have been preferable to say,
Work under all the pressure you
can generate while you are working.
but do not forget to cool the fires
down now and then and give the
machinery rest?'