American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-03-20
How to Live Long.

1t is the easiest thing in the world,
perhaps, to secure long life, pro-
vided there is moderately good
constitution to start with, and pro-
vided that no accident interyenes.
Yet how few there are who seem to
be aware of this!
III persons are to be Judged by
their conduct, indeed, we might con-
clude that nothing could be done to
prolong life, but that it depended
entirely on chance whether adult
years were attained, whether death
came at forty, or whether existence
was prolonged to the. scriptural
. three score years and ten"
The laws of life, however, are as
immutable and regular as those of
astronomy. Whoever lives accord
ing to those laws may reasonably
calculate on d good old age. Who
ever Systematically violates them
may as certainly expect to shorten
his existence. The human body is,
in truth, but a machine; and, like
all other machines, it may be worn
out before its time by abuse and
neglect. EXcesses On the one hand,
or want of exercise on the other, will
tear it prematurely to pieces, or
. allow it to rust away. Too little
work, or too much, will alike prove
fatal to prolonged existence.
Americans violate the laws of life
principally through their excesses.
In early manhood, excess in convi-
vial enjoyments, and even in worse
kind of dissipation, is unfortunately
too common. But excess is far from
ceasing even with mature manhood.
" it'll energetic persons, the desire
to achieve fortune has, at this
period of life, generally succeeded to
the pleasure re-seeking phase of earlier
years. The man, still radically un-
changed, pursues business with as
much avidity as ever he sought re-
creation. Early and late he is at his
work, everlasting his mind, and ex-
hausting his body by undue labor.
At first, indeed, he does not feel the
effect OF his indiscretion. Morning
finds him refreshed by the repose of
the night; he seems to himself as
vigorous as ever; and he returns to
his pursuit with the same eagerness,
the same tenacity, the same folly as
before. But nature at last avenges
herself By middle age is he already
an old man. Or, perhaps, he sud
denly breaks down, even at an earlier
period, becoming confirmed vale
tudinarian, the victim of dyspepsia,
rheumatism, gout, nervous disorders,
or possibly a complication of all four
If man would attain to the allotted
term of life, they must shun excess
in work, therefore, as well as il
pleasure. To kilr ones self by
greedy haste after riches, is as
much moral suicide as to destroy
ones life by wine, by tobacco, by
dining out, by late hours. 1t is not
sufficient, however, to avoid excess
merely, in order to arrive at three
: score and ten" Judicious exercise
must be mingled with habits Of
moderate living. Personal cleanli
ness must be preserved by bathing
by frequent changes of linen, and by
friction of the skin to induce a healty
state of that membrane. Many al
excellent clergyman has shortened
his days invoiuntarily by remaining
f in his study, when he should have
been saving wood in the cellar, walk
ing in the fresh air, OF gallopinG
over breezy hills. Many an individ
! ual, in both sexes. has brought OF
disease by neglecting to keep the
pores of the body properly opened
t The fashionable practice OF turning
2 day into night, and night into day
t is also an enemy to length of years
S There is no light so beautiful as God
free sunlight. The fair, fresh com
S plexions OF most Quaker girls, ant
: the comparatively ia led ones o
/ fashionable women, is a testimony
:? present before us all, in favor of reg
II? ular hours, and against gas-lit ball
y rooms. Plenty of light also, eve
in daytime, conduces to health.
The inhabitants of dark courts
like prisoners, wilt and grow wal
a long life is rarely the lot of
a passionate person. Indeed, only a
/, iron constitution can withstand fri
e quently recurring tempcsts of anger
e hate and other evil emotions. Lite
II ally is such an individual give
e over to demon,n to be racked an
,e torn, year after year, till life escape
Y beneath the torture. To be jus
e moderate and true is to him almoS
d certainly, a seXagenarian. Yet il
III dolence either Of body or of mine
II much less of both, is almost as fat;
of to protracted existence as excessiy
IL pursuit of fortune, or i'll the chase
IL pleasure.
e, Nature is never idle, and will n,
10 allow man to be 50, without dawr
lie ing his intellect and shortening h
- DAYS. But as few Americans perm
re themselves to rust out, we dismi
T. this part of our subject without I'll
fe ther comment.
IN Who will be wise, and live long
BE Who foolish, and die prematurely
;e- ECI"r course is before YOU reader
to Phiid. Ledger.