strength, and by the resulting discouragement. Hours of leisure, which,
rightly passed, bring pleasures that raise the tide of life and renew
the powers of work, cannot be utilized: there is not vigor enough for
enjoyments involving action, and lack of spirits prevents passive
enjoyments from being entered upon with zest. In brief, life becomes a
burden. The irritability resulting now from ailments, now from failures
caused from feebleness, his family has daily to bear. Lacking adequate
energy for joining in them, he has at best but a tepid interest in the
amusements of his children; and he is called a wet blanket by his
friends."

THE VICE OF EXCESS.

+Perpetual amusement-seeking: brings ennui, satiety, and disgust.+--"All
play and no work makes Jack a mere toy," is as true as that "All work
and no play makes Jack a dull boy." The constant pursuit of amusement
makes life empty and frivolous. Rightly used recreation increases one's
powers for serious pursuits. Pursued wrongly, pursued as the main
concern of life, amusement makes all serious work seem stale and dull;
and finally makes amusement itself dull and stale too. Ennui, loathing,
disgust, and emptiness are the marks of the amusement-seeker the world
over. "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. All things are full of
weariness. The eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with
hearing"--this is the experience of the man who "withheld not his heart
from any joy." It is the experience of everyone who exalts amusement
from the position of an occasional servant to that of abiding master of
his life.

THE PENALTY.

+The penalty of neglected exercise is confirmed debility.+--"Whosoever
hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath."
Enfeebled from lack of exercise a man finds himself unequal to the
demands of his work; and soured by his consequent dissatisfaction with
himself, he becomes alienated from his fellows. The tide of life becomes
low and feeble; and he can neither overcome obstacles in his own
strength nor attract to himself the help of others.

CHAPTER IV.

Work.

Food, clothes, shelter, and all the necessities of life are the products
of labor. Even the simplest food, such as fruit and berries, must be
picked before it can be eaten: the coarsest garment of skins must be
stripped from the animal before it can be worn: the rudest shelter of
rock or cave must be seized and defended against intruders before it can