tal and moral and often a
physical coward.

THE FATAL MISTAKE

The average man, when he is pressed to overwork, thinks that by cutting
out some of his exercise and devoting that extra time to his work he can
accomplish more. There never was a greater mistake; in the long run this
method is the most expensive of all. No factory manager would think of
running his automatic machines twice as long with half the amount of
oil, and yet that is just what the man is trying to do in this case. The
result is that he gradually piles up the various toxic products within
himself until self-poisoning is inevitable. All his organs struggle to
eliminate these poisons, but, being given no assistance, they gradually
become less and less efficient, and then begins the payment of the
penalty, for Nature never forgives this kind of treatment. From a
practical, useful running machine he retrogrades into something fit
only for the scrap-heap. The history is the same in all cases, although
it may be more or less prolonged. The discomfort, occasional slight
illnesses, the gradual loss of effective thought and power to
concentrate, lack of appetite, unreasonable temper, insomnia, nerve
diseases, and perhaps a complete nervous and physical breakdown if the
conditions are not recognized in time, are the varying punishments
inflicted by Nature.

[Illustration: ARCH WORK]

I have referred to Nature's order, "You must earn your bread by the
sweat of your brow." Almost every one, in these modern days of
civilization, is earning his bread in some other way; well, he must make
up for this by some kind of exercise or else Nature will surely take
her toll. When men were earning their bread by the sweat of their brows
they were not always sure of getting a surplus of it, and that was not a
half-bad thing. In fact, it was far better for the race than present
conditions under which so many men have given up physical work
altogether. But instead of cutting down on their food they double up on
it.

SOMETHING OUT OF A BOTTLE

The usual temporary panacea for these ills of the flesh is to get some
so-called "specific" in the form of a medicine and gobble it
religiously. Thousands of men and women, who are unwilling to take five
or ten minutes' exercise two or three times a day, will swallow
something out of a bottle on a spoon before each meal, with a splendid
satisfaction and confidence. Perhaps temporarily it produces improved
results. At any rate,