Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-07-10

key.-[From the ALDINE for July.
The Love Of Life Increased with Aee.
Age, that lessons the enjoyment of life,
increases our desire of living. Those
dangers, which, in the vigor of youth,
we had learned to despise, assume new
terrors as we grow old. Our caution
increasing as our years increase, fear be-
comes at last the prevailing passion of
the mind; and the small remainder of
life is taken up in useless efforts to keep
OIL our end, Or provide for continued
existence.
| Strange contradiction in our nature,
and to which even the wise are liable!
II should Judge of that part fife which
lies before me by that which have al
ready seen, the prospect is hideous. Ex.
perience tells me, that my past enjoy
ments have brought no real felicity !;
and sensation assures me, that those |
have felt are stronger than those which
are to come. Yet experience and SEN
sation in vain persuade; hope, more
powerful than either, dresses out the
distant prospect in fancied beauty some
happiness in long perspective, still
beckons me to pursue; and, like a losing
gamesier, every new disappointment in
creases my ardor to continue the game.
Whence, then, is this increased love
OF life, which grows upon us with our
years1 Whence comes it, that we thus
make greater efforts to preserve our ex-
istencc, at period when it becomes
scarce worth keeping! Is it that nature,
attentive to the preservation ofmankind,
increases our wishes to live, while she
lessons our enjoyments; and, as she robs
the senses of every pleasure, equips i'm
aSlnatlon i'll the spoil! Life would be
lnsupportable to an old man, who, load
ed with infirmities, feared death no more
than when in the vigor of manhood; the
numberless calamities of dccaying ma
ture, and the consciousness of surviving
every pleasure, would at once induce
him, with his own hand, to terminate
the scene of misery: but, happily, the
the contempt of death forsakes him at a
and life acquires an imaginary value in
proportion as its real value is no more.
Ourattachmentt to every object around
us increases, in general, from the length
of our acquaintance with it. Il would
not choose says French philosopher,
'to see an old post pulled up with which
long habituated to a certain set OF OBJ
jects, iusensibly becomes fond of seeing
them; visits them from habit, and parts
from them with reluctance: from hence
proceeds the avarice of the old in every
kind OF possession; they love the world
and all that it produces; they love life
and all its advantages; not because it
gives them pleasure, but because they
have known it long.
Chinvang the Chaste, when asceLded
the throne of China, commanded that
all who were unjustly detained i'll pris-
on, curing the preceding reigns, should
be set free. Among the number who
came to thank their deliverer on this
occasion, there appeared majestic Old
man, who falling ut the emperor's feet,
addressed him as follows:
Great father of China, behold
wretch, now eightyfive y ears old, who
was shut up i'll a dungeon at the age OF
twenty-five. l was imprisoned though
a stranger to crime, or without being
even confronted by my accusers. |
have now lived in solitude and darkness
for more than sixty years, and am grow
ing familiar with distress. As yet daz-
zled with the splendor of that sun to
which yon have restored me. | have
been wandering the streets to find out
some friends that would assist, or ro-
lieve. or remember me; but my frien DIS,
my family, and relations are all dead,
and | am forgotten. Permit me, then,
. Chinvang, TO wear out the wretched
remains OF life i'll my former prison;
the walls of my dungeon are 10 me moro
pleasing than the most splendid palace:
| have not long to live, and shall be un-
happy except | spend the rest of my
days there my youth was passed, i'll
that prison from whence you We're pleas
ed TO release me-
Tne old mans passion for confine-
ment is similar to that we all have tor
life. We are habituated to the prison;
we look round with discomfort, are dis
pleased with the abode; and yet the
length OF our captivity only increases
our fondness for the cell. The trees we
have planted, the houses we have built,
or the posterity we have begotten, all
serve to bind US closer to earth, and en-
bitter onr parting. Life sues the young
like new acquaintance; the cOmpan-
ION, as yet uneXhausted, is at once in-
structlve and amusing; its company
pleases; yet for all this, it is but little
regarded. To US, who are declined in
years life appears like an old friend; its
jests have been anticipated in former
conversation; it has no new story to
make us smile, no new improvement
with which to surprise; yet still we love
it; husband the wasting treasure with
increasing frugality, and feel all the
poignancy of anguish in the fatal sepa-
ration.
Sir Philip Mordaunt was young, beau
tltul, sincere, brave-an Englishman.
lie had complete fortune of his own,
and the love Of the king his master,
which was equivalent to riches. Life
opened all her treasures before him,
and promised long succession of future
happiness. He came, tasted of the en-
tertainment, but was disgusted even at
the beginning. He professed an aver
sion to living; was tired Of walking
round the same circle; had tried every
enjoyment, aud found them all grow
weaker at every repetition. IF life be,
in youth so displeasing,' cried he to
himself, what will it appear when age
comes on? If it be at present indiffer-
ent, sure it will then be execrable.'
This thought embittered every refec-
lion; till, at last, with all the serenity
of perverted reason, he ended the debae
with pistol! Had this self-deluded
man been apprized that existence grows
more desirable to US the longer we exist,
he would then have faced old age with
out shrinking; he would have boldly
dared to live; and served that society,
by his future assiduitv, which he most
baslly injured by his desertion.-Gold-
smith.
"REMINISCENCES OF AN OLD PRINTER
In Philidelphia, in small court in the
rear of what was then No. So Market
street, many years ago was located the
building where Franklin carried on the
printing business. In the autumn OF
1927, the writer of this first tried "his
prentice hand" at 'the art preservative
Of all arts" in the same building, under
Mr. Inhn CLARK vino nri ntod tho ReIini-