Evening Round Up | Page 7

work was over. She was dressed for the afternoon. Everything in the
home was neat, sweet, clean and tidy. All serene but her face, and that
was the window through which I saw worry working overtime.
By strategy I learned the trouble, and here is her story: "Tomorrow a lot
of fruit will be ready to preserve. I am worrying where I shall put it. My
fruit closet is full."
The woman had every reason to say to herself "sufficient unto the day,"

yet she was doing the preserving mentally today and tomorrow she
would do the work physically.
A tired mind is harder to rest than a tired body, so we must nip this
advance mental work in the bud.
We have all had mental obsessions of worrying about the things we
were going to take on our trip; then worrying over the routine of our
work when we return from our trip.
If the housewife looks over her week's work and washes the dishes,
makes the beds, cooks the meals, dresses the children, mends the
clothes, in her imagination, before she does them in reality, she is
indeed a hard working woman.
It's all right to plan your work; that's economy in mental expenditure,
for it simplifies, systematizes, and saves work.
Plan your work in advance, but do not keep your mind on the plans
until the work is done.
When you have planned, then close the mental book of tomorrow's duty,
and turn to pleasures, rest, relaxation and enjoyment of today.
These little round-ups we have each evening are fine to switch the
thought current from tomorrow's duties.
It is to get a definite, different thought habit fixed, that I ask you to give
me these few minutes each day when we may consider various phases
of life, science, pleasure, morals and mental refreshment.
True we can only have a fleeting look at things, but we'll get enough, I
hope, to freshen your minds, change the humdrum, and elicit interest in
things.
Maybe these round-ups we have will help us, and keep us from
working mentally tomorrow's physical work.
If these evening talks interest you, help clear your vision, help cheer

you, help rest you, then they are good for you, and be cause they help
you they certainly benefit me and make me very happy, because
happiness comes from doing something for others.
I write as the mood strikes me, or as a phase of life comes before me, or
as an idea strikes in and just won't let go until I grasp my pen and let
the words flow.
I mean this book is human, and not a studied literary effort.
Just get the human viewpoint and don't criticize the words used or the
sentences I construct.
I want to reach you right there alone in the room where you are reading
this, and I want the suggestions, the good, the help, to soak in and I
want you to pass the good you get to your brother; you won't lose a bit
by so doing.

NERVES
The Doctors' Most Difficult Problem
"She is all right--her only trouble is her NERVES." How often we hear
that and how little does the person with steady nerves appreciate the
tortures of "nerves."
A cut, a bruise, a headache, or any of the physical ailments can be
quickly cured. Nature will mend the break, but tired, worn, stretched,
abused nerves take time to restore. These nerve ailments call for most
vigorous mental treatment.
Neurasthenia means debilitated or prostrated nerves and it shows itself
first of all by worry. Worry means the inability to relax the attention
from a definite fear or fancied hard luck. Worry leads to many physical
and mental disorders.
Left alone this worry stage develops into an acute state and brings with

it nervous prostration, and sometimes a complete collapse of the will
power.
Before the acute stage of neurasthenia is reached there is noticed "brain
fag," and brain fag is nature's warning signal calling upon you to take
notice and change your mental habits.
Worry sometimes develops into hysteria; again it takes the form of
hypochondria or chronic blues. The hypochondriac has a chronic,
morbid anxiety about personal health and personal welfare. Frequently
this state is accompanied by melancholia.
Melancholia is the forks in the roads. One road leads to incurable
insanity, the other to curable melancholia. Right here is where heroic
action is needed by the sufferer.
Here is where the sufferer must exert his will power, change
completely his mental and physical habits and his surroundings.
Occupation, changed habits, taking in of confidence, faith and courage
thoughts--these changes are necessary to the victim of melancholia, or
he will shatter on the danger rocks and go to pieces.
Melancholia is where is offered a good