Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-09-17
Long Life.

" the hoary head is a crown of glory, If
it be found in the way of righteousness"
Many men die long before they have
any right to die. They cheat themselves
and defraud their race and rob their Max
er by their untimely dying. Many die
before they have paid for their bringing
up and others quit work before they have
earned support through the feeble years
preceding death. They die in debt to the
public. though never known as towns
poor" 1t is duty 10 live and to live 10
work.
Long life is honorable. The word of
God so teaches. And all the better senti-
ments of our souls unite to do honor TO
the aged. Age is venerated-if it be not
married by folly.
1t is 10 be sought. The man who abides
in strength and holds on in the race years
after his early companions have nearly all
gone has won much and is in the way to
win much more. The last ten years of
any well preserved active life are worth
manifold more than any preceding ten
years. Could the great workers who have
fallen at 40 or As have lived on for an
other decade, their bones abiding in
strength" what great achievements had
been theirs. Had Summerfield lived to be
20, had Burns lived as long as Bryant,
what sermons from one and poems from
the other had enriched the hearts and
minds of men! Or had Peabody died at
80 and Bismarck at 40 and james and
Ames and Simpson at the average of hui
man life, how different the present and the
future Of nations and the church,
Could Geo. Smith have had only ten
years more to dig away at old Nineveh
and decipher the records of buried ages,
could Coke have had decade more for
missionary work, could Douglas have had
ten years of continued leadership in the
councils of the nation. could any conse-
Grated worker have ten years more to
work, 10 earn and to give. could all true
and good men have each an added decade
of life, how much more would result for
humanity and the cause of Christ!
1t is not for all TO see many years.
There are short lived families" and sell
dom does any one exceed the years of
parents aud grandparents. In two gener-
ations (parents and grandparents) can be
fount one or two who have lived as long
rs the present generation will survive.
With rare exceptions this is true for al
most all. We may do much in preserving
vitality, but we cannot live and work rs
long as we would.
But what we can do in prolonging our
work years should be done. Every
man should he ambitious to leave the
world in debt to hineelf-actutlly hene-
fitted and enriched and made better by
his toll. Some men have become Chris
ians rather late in life and then have de-
sired TO live serving God here as long as
luey hau llNeu III ulsoOeuieHce. ue ue-
sire was good. The idea of doing this
world more good than harm is in itself an
inspiration. &c 1t is more blessed to give
than to receive" And men should desire
life and be careful of health that they may
work, if possible, many years. All hon
est toll helps to feed and clothe and edu-
cate and Christianize the world. When a
man has pail for his own keeping in this
world he should be ready for years Of
work for the multitudes who die in infancy
or live in feebleness of body or mind. In
long life of work any good man may
become one of the worlds benefactors.