The Lawyer Who "Overworks"

"After eight months of this, the final examinations came around. Theyconsumed a full week from nine in the morning until five or six atnight. I had no opportunity for review, so I rented a room near thelaw school to save the time going and coming and reviewed each nightthe subjects of examination for the following day.

"I did not sleep more than two hours any night in that week. OnThursday, while bolting a bit of luncheon, a fishbone stuck in mythroat. Fearful of losing the result of my year's effort, I returnedto my work, suffering much pain, and kept at it until Saturday night,when the examinations were concluded. The next day the surgeon whoremoved the fishbone said there was no reason why I should not havehad 'a bad case of gangrene.'

"When I look back on that year's work I don't see how I stood it. Idon't see how I kept myself at it, day in, day out, month after monthwithout rest, recreation or relief. I am sure I could never go throughit again, even if I had the courage to undertake it.
"I ranked second in a class of one hundred and eighty in my lawexaminations, won the second prize for the best graduating thesis,received a complimentary vote for class oratorship, and much to mysurprise was soon after offered an assistant superintendency of thepublic schools by the school board, who knew nothing of my studies andthought my work as a teacher worthy of promotion.

"It was not only the hardest year's work but the best year's work Iever did. It exemplifies my invariable experience that the more wewant to do the more we can do and the better we can do it. "

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