The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-11-14
moral and intellectual organs transmit

moral and intellectual organs transmi'
the most favorable nervous influence to
the whole bodily system"
1t is an unfounded fear that some
have, that they will ipjure the body BY
much mental exertion. Students more
frequently ruin their constitutions and
contract lifelong ailments by eating
more than their sedentary habits Will
allow, blowing away their nervous vlgor
in clouds of tobacco smoke, and burning
out the lamp oflife by dissipation rather
than the midnight lamp OF oil by
study. Those who study most assid-
uously, who have the warmest and
noblest aspirations, and strive from q
high moral sense OF duty to realize them,
are the healthiest bodily and mentally,
and that mental labor is not unfavorable
to bodily health and longevity the lives
of many Of the worlds greatest thinkers
an actors testify.
Voltaire died in his S5th year, and
Fontanelli lived to within few weeks
of a hundred. Kant, the greatest
thinker of his time, lived beyond three
score years and ten, and gave it as the
result OF his observation that intel
lectual pursuits tend to prolons life.
Newton, the profoundest philosopher OF
his generation, lived to the age OF seven
ty-three, and Herschel and Humboldt
both saw more than four score years and
ten. Hume lacked only five years OF
completing his three score aud ten, and
Robertson, that other great historian OF
England, died in his I'D year.
John Jay, the first Chief Justice OF
the Supreme Court OF the United States
under the Federal Constitution, lived TO
the age Of 81. The great John Mar.
shall, who filled the arduous duties OF
the same office for a continuous period
OF thirty.fve years, with his faculties
unimpaired to the last, nearly com
pleted his S0th year, and Chief Justice
fancy lived to about the same year.
Let us proceed now to the consldera-
ton Of the last division Of our subject.
We have seen that there is but one way
to acquire mental power, and that is by
mental labor-habitual, daily thought.
The mind feeds upon its own action
and grows marvellously strong; the
stronger it grows the more it acts; the
more it acts the stronger it grows. So
here we leave the mind, its law OF pow
er, simple and easily obeyed by those
who have properly constituted that OF
which We are now to speak,
THE HEART.
From the heart flow the waters that
turn the wheels OF action; the body
and mind but machinery are, dvInely
fit to perfect in accomplishments our
rough intentions.
What we love, that we strive for; the
stronger our love, the more do we tax
our powers to purchase the object OF
our love. Men differ but little in mode
OF action; the difference lies in intensity
Of action the intensity depends uron
| the amount OF heart in the man, as the
force OF the steam engine depends IL non
the steam; the heart is the character
OF the man; genius is as much con-
stituton OF heart az rEind. The mind
is idle when the heart is cold. Every
action of the mind is the effect as well
as revelation OF the heart. The Scrip.
lures are full Of this philosophy; from
the heart the mouth speaketh," the
mind deviseth, and the hand worketh.
1t s then what we love, and now much
we loveit, that determines what and how
much we shall do. All great desi gns
have their origin in a noble heart, and
the designer is the only capable archl-
tect; he is not capable OF good deed,
who is void o! good intentions.
We work TOR what the heart desires;
and when man is under the excite
ment OF strong desire he will accom-
plish that which he thought in mo-
r.,ents OF cool reflection far beyond his
! poser.
The lower animals even, when under
great excitement, over-tep the narrow
bounds OF instinct, and manifest inge-
nuity almost human. Indeed the dit
ference between the lower animals and
man is more the lack of the former in
the qualities OF heart, which we term
the moral faculties, than in defect Of
reason; for they have reason in its in
cipient form, but it does not grow be-
cause the warming, moving, mystic
heart is not there. And as they, in
states Of excitement, manifest reason
almost human, so man, in moments Of
enthusiasm, seems 10 leave behind all
the possibilities of reason, and mani
tests inspiration almost divine.
II seems useless to say so true a
thing as that there never was q great
enterprise, good or bad, undertaken and
accomplished, without being moved
and sustained by some strong and last
ing passion. And the reason that there
is more evil in the world than good, is
that the evil passions are stronger and
more active than the good. Men do
not lack perseverance, but the misfor.
tune is that they psrseYere steadfastly
in evil
The heart must be sound, otherwise
lit is better that the body and mind be
'sick also; for sound body and mind,
with an unsound heart, Is the cOnstitu-
ton most capable OF wickeiness.
The heart should be set upon things
worthy. 1t is the love Of something
that makes man work Love OF
money infiames some, so that they
strive with mind and body until both
are no longer able to work; love Of
power makes some toll and suffer
through long years Of alternating for
tune and disappointment the love of,
or longing after, some object, is the
cause OF all steady effort. And man
generally obtains what he passionately
loves, and earnestly strives for; as a
general rule, they only get rich who
love money, and those only acquire
power who love to command,
Then what shall we love? This