In other words, it is within our power to have a
large margin, balance or reserve of physical and mental force.
To make the meaning clearer let us illustrate financially: Prudent
people lay aside a few dollars from time to time, in a savings bank, for
instance. All goes well and the savings grow. At last there are one
thousand dollars. Now an emergency arises, and if the saver can not
furnish nine hundred dollars he will lose his home. In this case he must
either borrow or use his reserve, so he takes nine hundred dollars from
the savings bank and keeps his home. The improvident man loses his home
under similar circumstances, for his credit is not good and he has no
balance to draw upon.
And it is the same with physical and mental powers, except that we can
not borrow these, no matter how much good will or credit we may have. He
who lives well is accumulating a reserve. He has a wide margin. If
trouble comes he can draw upon his reserve energy or surplus resistance
and bridge it over. He may be tired out, but he escapes with body and
mind intact.
The imprudent liver generally has such a narrow margin that any
extraordinary demand made upon him breaks him down.
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