The Newtown bee., 1879-09-03
How a Cenfenarian Lived.

The causes of life and of death are, to some extent, identical. Influences which kill the weak strengthen the strong, and in the mutual reaction of a perfect con stitution and mode of life free from those iethal influences which no strength of constitution can resist may be found the secret of extreme longevity. The history of centenarians often illustrates this, bot it is not often that the eondi- tions oftheir existence can be accurately known. Not long ago the death was announced, at the age of 102, of Rev. Canon Beadon, of Stoneham, the partic- ulars of whose life are in this respect of some interest. Born in the year TIT, he succeeded his father in the living of Stoneham in 1872, the living having been held by the two, father and son, for more than 100 years. His ancestors presented examples of moderate but not extreme longevity, his father having died at eighty and his mother at eighty six. Canon Beadon's good health was | almost uninterrupted in early manhood | he had a slight illness, the exact nature of which it is difficult to ascertain, since 1t occurred in the year 179S. He was | about five feet nine inches, broad-shoul- dered and deep-chested, with very long arms and large hands. In early life he possessed great muscular power, which was well indicated by his frame. Even when long past seventy his strength of wrist was remarkable. He was fond of shooting and fishing; the former amuse ment he kept up till nirety-four, the lat ter till eighty-eight. When middle aged he could walk out shooting from morning till night, exposed to any amountof cold and wet. and completely | knOcr up many younger men. He l 70 tn n lJ11nn m tS l to which ordinary men are subject. He never knew what a headache or rheuma- tism was. His digestion appeared per feet and he could eat anything with inn 1 punity. He not only ate heartily at every meal, but used often to eat bis cults, etc., between meals. He was a "moderate drinker "-by no means a total abstainer, and was to the last eX- tremely fond of sweet things. As he grew older his step became slower, but he never tOttered in his gait. To the last | his complexion was ruddy in tint, never showing the parchment-like appearance so often an accompaniment of extreme old age. His condition remained as in middle age to his death, neither stouteT nor thinner. At ninety-seven he had his first severe illness-an attack ot bronchitis, contracted through going out on very cold day, and he was never afterward quite the same. Up tc this date he had taken service in his church every Sunday and his three months duty in Wells cathedral. his voice continuing distinct and powerful
 but after the attack of bronchitis he wa: more or less an invalid. Nevertheless: he was able to answer himself seventy letters of congratulation which he re
 ceived on is hundredth, birthday. The late severe winter tried him very much
 and he had several colds and slight at
 tacks of bronchitis, from all of which hC recovered, and he died at last peaceablI and painlessiy from mere decay of na
 ture." During the last year or two o
 his life, if tatigued or out of health il any way, his mind was not perfectly clear, but he never lapsed into anything like "second childishness." He wa' possessed of most impurturbable tenn
 per and singuIarly even spirits, ant would not allow anything to worr! him. The two places where he passed most of his life-Wells and Stoneham- are relaxing in climate. One of hi nephews is now living, aged eighty-siX two died last year, aged eighty-five an' eighty tight respectively, and at tn time of his death Canon BeadOn ha' great-great- great-nephewsa and nieces liv ing-LO7ldOu Ldncct.