The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-04-03
Greaing State galsrnal.
Not Too Old.

/ sometimes hear such expressions as
these from middle-aged and elderly people |:
II am too, old to learn this or that new
thing III cannot remember tiff try. 1t
is of no use for me to read or study now.
When was q child I learned as easily as
anybody. lnever had to study much to get
my lessons in school, and kept at the head
Of my class with very little effort; but
now cannot remember anything. DO not
ask me to Join class in history or any
thing else, for / shall not know any more
about it when I get to the end Of the book
than when begin. There Is no use in my
trying to commit to memory piece OF
poetry or wise saying in prose, for
shall forget it In o very short time it do"
Hearing such remarks as the foregoing,
and also realizing in my own experience to
some extent the truth of them has led me
to reflect upon the subject and ask: Why
is this? Why do we lose our power OF ac-
curing and retaining knowledge when we
get beyond the spring time Of youth? Why
does not the ability to learn new things
grow with our growth and strengthen with
our strength? Why does the keen, eager
appetite for knowledge that characterizes
childhood become palled as we advance in
years ? Why is it that we look with such
intense longing for the fresh zeal with which
we once undertook difficult problem land
for the deep satisfaction we felt after mas
tering it?5 ayas ita z ~ eV. i
May not the answer to these questions
be something like this We, allow our
life and attention to be absorbed by the
external cares, duties and wants Of every
day life. As we progress from youth to
middle life and old age, our whole life
flows in new channels and thousand
things claim our attention. where perhaps
not more than one forced itself upon our
minds when we were young. Now, If we
could, as it were, empty our minds
of these accumulations of years and
take hold of study with the sim
gle eye Of childhood, have. no
doubt we could learn and retain what we
have learned, as we'll now as then. Can
we not do this? I, for one, feel like en-
tering my protest against this clogged state
of the mind. Can we not find way to
stop the great swarm of objects which
force themselves upon our thoughts, and
learn to SO control our attention that we
may concentrate our whole strength upon
our lessons or upon whatever is most de-
sirable? AS believers in Christianity we
have right to expect to be able to do this.
One of the most earnest Bible students |
ever knew once said: "The power of con-
centration is one which is Of vital impor-
lance to believers growing in grace"
What is growing in grace? is it not
overcoming ourselves |; concentrating our
attention on Christ and yielding our
natures, step by step. to be possessed by
his nature ? When this is done in such o
way that we can say, 81 live, yet not I,
but Christ liveth in me, we shall be able
to exert that self-control which is necessa-
ry to make us "become as little children.o
Children are wide awake to learn new
things. They always have time enough,
and it Is easy for them to turn from
one thing to another. 5tas
This susceptibility to change is one of
the most interesting traits Of childhood.
1t is the exact opposite of old age. When
we have found out away to change with
the facility and aptitude of little child,
have we not found out the way to immor-
tai youth? "Except ye be converted and
become as little children ye cannot enter
the kingdom of heaven :" j. o., except we
find way to get rid of fixed habits and
free our minds from the clogs and letters
which make them tardy servants to our
wills, we cannot enter the kingdom of
heaven Oneida Circular. .,f