Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-02-27


Mr.. Rufus westersby Hicks. Ct 0sh-
kosh, is now ninety years Of age. and
in robust health. In response 10 my
inquiry, how be managed TO keep HIM
self in such condition, be has written
me the following letter whieh1 pub
Iish for the beneft Of the public. Mr..
Hicks says:
"ln the first place Ihave always been
careful to sleep With plenty Of air in
my bedroom. Iregard this matter Of
vital impoFtsnce. The practice ol sleep
ing in q vacuum wlll gradually under
nine the strongest constitution. have
always found great advantage, too. in
sleeping in bed. and not % the wash
st&nd OF acrUss the towel rack. Ny
grandfather used to say that the towel
rack vas even more dangerous to sleep
on than the mantelpiece.
Upon rising in the morning. always
Jump at once into the bath tub, no mat
ter how cold the weather IS, and sit
there thinking whether ! shall turn the
water on or not. Generally conclude
not to. But the exercise IN and out OF
the tub does me much good. Before
breakfast spend an hour or so in par
sing. have become so skillful now
that can tell.an adverb clear across
the street, and no amount OF disguise
can hide personal pronoun from me.
Sometimes, when weary Of grammar
I take 4 quiet game Of pussy wants
corner" or practice looking cross-eyed
at the clock. This last amusement al-
ways gives me an appetite.
But a moderate breakfast is best
A man doesn't want more than two or
three water melons, bind quarter Of
a lamb, a peck or two of clans, and
bucket Ia small bucket) Of pickles for
his first meal. Eat slowly. Allow at
least a minute 20 q water melon, and
where eunards are in the hash, be sure
to spit on the stones. IN. B.-This is
not clear, but Mr.. Hicks undoubtedly
means well-M. Adeler.)
After eating The system needs a rest.
/ 60 of to some quiet place like the
rain water cistern, or the chimney aue
and try 10 compose my mind. Some
times ! sing. Ills admirable for strength
ening the lungs, and the chimney fue
develops the sound wonderfully. Last
Wednesday ] sang "Home, Sweet
Home" up the Hae so effectively that
il brought out the fire company, and
threw Mrs. Hopkinson's hired girl
into fits. IN. B.-The old mans mind
appears TO be wandering here, but he
is evidently trying to ;ell the truth
NJ. AdeleF.)
A little later in the day you want
exercise to stimulate the circulation
Sometimes ] Gerry the piano up and
down stairs two or three times; or ]
open and shut my umbrella seventeen
or eighteen hundred times, or brash my
hair for couple OF hours, or go out and
dig potatoes with a lead pencil. used
to spank the baby, but l have no baby
now small enough to spank. My
Youngest child is forty-seven. and has
red halr, and is in the Nebraska Leg
islature. IN. B.-Tfhe is in the Leg
islature it is positively certain that q
spanking would do him good. But ]
20 not understand that reference to red
hair. II is not pertinent TO the sub
iect.-M. A.
Inever touch whiskeY. 1t is Pois-
onous. No man who uses it can have
long life. Who can estimate the woe
that it has brought TO the human race
No, No avoid the hideous liquid as you
would fiery serpent. Not one drop
Of whiskey has passed nv lips for nine.
ty-one years. IN. B.-The old man is
only ninety; but let that pass, NJ. Al
and not drop shall. Nothing would
induce me to touch it. What | want
is little old apple brandy, mellow and
ripe, possibly with a dash OF gin in il;
and even OF this never drink more
than two quarts between breakfast and
supper. As for tobacco, well. when ]
was ten years old | vowed / would new
er smoke another cigar or chew another
plug oi tobacco as long as lived. !
have smoked pipe and ehewed hne-
cut exclusively.
And now IN nv old age, look back
upon The years OF q well spent life, and
as ! wheel myself about my garden 10
my wheelbarrOw, looking at the Ioga-
riihms growing upon my vines, and
watching the propositions climbing upon
the trelIises, basking in the sunshine,
while the peIicans gambol aboutthe-"
But this is enough. Mr.. Hicks is
gradually ceasing to be lurid. Pelicans
never gambol: and have some doubts
about that wheelborrow performance:
but the reader who wishes 10 live till
ninety and become hoary old fellow,
nav study Hicks ePistle possibly with
profit.-Max Adeler in .fIsD York
Weekly.