Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1817-01-03
faculties.

Cdule upon hihe "S Wa - -. II
the company OF number OF isdies ana
gentlemen. On sudden he put spurstaI
his horse and rode forward till he was
out Of sight Of his companions who
when they came up, found him upon, h's
knees un,ler an aged oak, whose upper
branches were dry aud sapless while the
stock was vet green. Upou being ques-
oned about the singularity OF his CON
duct in that instance, he replied he had
been making bis fervent supplication to-
Sud, that he himself might not. like the
tree he was rnder, be withered at the
top.
There i. often premature decay iaI
mind. Ere the corruptible body sleeps
With age the immortal part shows evident
signs Of impairment: " not emily grows
f., ..etIul, but treber OF intellect and
this not unfrequently happens TO persons
well informed, and Of excellent inte!Isc
tuai faculties. In so far as it comes by
the immediate act Of Sod. or from contin-
sencies which cannot be prevented nor
foreseen, it is a calamity that W. can on
" deplore with humtle reverence Ut the
righteous hand thar intlicts it. But in
most casss, i! is owing TO PreSentih'e
causes, such as, Incorporate drinking,
plnttony. debauchery, aud the general
traia Of Kindred vices, which war against
the whole man. and bring both the body
and the nind to- premature decay and
roia, But not TO speak OF the causes
which are so we'll knnwn and so generally
acknowledged. viii meuticn one tia,
I IA, been Iittie uoticed-it is the hahltual
dsreIic,ion or inactsOn Of or rational ia
cuties.
Intellect often generates for want
ssexerci.e. Mental eyPcci>e is no less
necessary for sustaining the tsciItIes oil
Tie mind, than Is corpOred' ayerclse 70
the yigOr and a.e.tness ofrte b"dy. Ma
tEins SO much strengthens the ;asmory rs
tn frequent employment Oi It, by Which
il yaius strength j: il wee mechanically !;
yourpas on the at6e, haad, hat4tua dis
ogs never fails 20 aba'e ~ p'we~ Asa
GU reason is u tac0,iy 70 which exercise
gives sloYrmet At, sro'yih aad at'ength,
We ,eara to .e2soH D. tasenthg, a. we
lie an 10 walk bv Wa king IS one whn'e
limit have for a long time bren contGeG
and motipule>s, loses ia some Gexrce the
power of waking, SO one Tho sdlie'S "a,
\ faculty of reason IN REGAIN inactive loses
>in some degree the power Of reasoning
Moreover even speech IL lost by long dis
use. Seine Who had for several Yeas
been in condition ii solitude aud utter
secIusion from the company y Jc!tua
ISbeinys were, when frst -estored to So
lciety, unable to articaiate their mothsr
StonIue. Such in PARTICULAR was the case
fsoF Alexander Se,ki-k. whose real hi.tc-
fry j, veiled ander tie ectitious bat pleas
ling tale OF Rpbinscp Crusoc.
Now it is obvious that age natural.
del ghts in repese; in a condition OF
quiet, both Of body aud mind, OF Gu,ct
bordering on insction. II is visited With
the feeling Of lassitude not easily over
4 come; for which reason the most vi those
Whose prime had been spent ia Vigosou.
labor OF thought, 10. in the evening o
Vile, remit this labour considerabi, or
'taltosether, and TIER minds fail ior lack
tof exercise.
n Il is further obvious to remark thai
ssge seldom enjoys An equal participation
siu social intercourse. " Iron sharpen th
Iron $. a man sharpsneth tn, cvunte-
nance Of his friend" The mind can
doze over book, but engaging CONVEX
sati0u arouses its dormant powers, and
tends more perhaps than any thing else,
40 siSe il tone and teution. Blu. great
s.napy Of the aged are solitary s. desoiate.
y qhs ssmpanioas of their youth, and Of
$van their ripper years ATE mostly so9e.
aud they have found none TO 7uspIy-'helr
$pisces, L;yiog as it we're alone in the
world ,heir minds are no iopser expand.
I sl aud qaickened oy living intercourse
rith society.
If the TOPICS which have now been
Retely suggested, were considered IN all
heir bearing aud consequences 1t wonld.
n conceive, appear at least as probable
t&ct that the imbrcility of rpinds once
strQng is more frequently tire effect OF
,their own torpid insctlou, than OF the i'm
6ai;ing hand Of time. ~
~ To those who wish Ter he pr olongatinn
ei their rational faculties; and who would
Dot wishit l will venture to suggest the
following short HINTS.
e !. 4" Be temperate in all things"-in
sour desires as well as in your enjoy
hents.
81 2. Cultivate contentment and chez rful-
hess Of temper. A cheerful heart doeth
I good like medicine )" like medicine
"a narmoulzes and myisorates the body
~ IL. 4 Ind ch..l,