ssary interest and work, and
have not thought of turning or been willing to turn their attention to
some needed charity or work for others. A woman in this state is like a
steam-engine with the fire in full blast, and the boiler shaking with
the power of steam not allowed to escape in motive force.

A somewhat unusual example of this is a young woman who had been
brought up as a nervous invalid, had been through nervous prostration
once, and was about preparing for another attack, when she began to
work for a better control of her nervous force. After gaining a better
use of her machine, she at once applied its power to work,--gradually
at first and then more and more, until she found herself able to endure
what others had to give up as beyond their strength.

The help for these, and indeed for all cases, is to make the life
objective instead of subjective. "Look out, not in; look up, not down;
lend a hand," is the motto that must be followed gently and gradually,
but _surely,_ to cure or to prevent a case of "Americanitis."

But again, good sense and care must be taken to preserve the
equilibrium; for nervous tension and all the suffering that it brings
come more often from mistaken devotion to others than from a want of
care for them. Too many of us are trying to make special Providences of
ourselves for our friends. To say that this short-sighted martyrdom is
not only foolish but selfish seems hard, but a little thought will show
it to be so.

A woman sacrifices her health in over-exertion for a friend. If she
does not distress the object of her devotion entirely out of proportion
to the use she performs, she at least unfits herself, by over-working,
for many other uses, and causes more suffering than she saves. So are
the great ends sacrificed to the smaller.

"If you only knew how hard I am trying to do right" comes with a
strained face and nervous voice from many and many a woman. If she
could only learn in this case, as in others, of "vaulting ambition that
o'er-leaps itself and falls upon the other side;" if she could only
realize that the very strained effort with which she tries, makes it
impossible for her to gain,--if she would only "relax" to whatever she
has to do, and then try, the gain would be incomparable.

The most intense sufferers from nervous excitement are those who
suppress any sign of their feeling. The effort to "hold in" increases
the nervous strain immensely. As in the case of one ether