Sleep
Neglecting sleep gradually destroys life, like a railroad deteriorating until it crashes.
Neglected. Whoever by work, pleasure, sorrow, or by any other cause, is regularly diminishing his sleep, is destroying his life. A man may hold out for a time; but Nature keeps close accounts, and no man can dodge her settlements. We have seen impoverished railroads that could not keep the track in order, nor spare the engines to be thoroughly repaired; every year, track and equipment deteriorated; by and by comes a crash; and the road is in a heap of confusion and destruction. So it is with men. Beecher.