The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-09-07
department.
why We Grow Old.

the mind makes the material CORE
spondence of whatever it sets itself
permanently upon. Any person con-
tinually in fear of something will
bear the marks of such fear craven
in his or her face. If you lock for
ward to such decay of the body as a
thing that must come it will come.
People who keep young in their
minds show it in the condition of
their bodies. Three.fourths of our
people look the old man or old woman
at sixty because they have always
received it as an inevitable necessity,
from which there was no possible es.
cape, that they must be on the down
hill side of life at that age. 1t is to
them claw of nature"
It is for them only the law of ig-
norance. There are still a great
many claws of nature of which we
know little or nothing. To say sim :
possible" to the idea shat people can
not live longer than the present aver
age of life, and at the same time be
strong and healthy at a "great age"
is to put ourselves ia the long cata-
logue of past ounces who said it was
impossible for steam to propel cars
and ships, or for electricity to carry
news, Every generation finds out
some new power in nature, and all of
natures unrecognized powers are
not confined to the propelling of
machinery.
It is great aid to the preservation
of youth and vigor to be able to sit
still and keep still in mind as well as
in body when there is really nothing
to do, because in such condition
mind and body are recuperat;ng and
filing up with new force. The body
is not fed with material food alone.
There are other elements, now little
recognized, which act upon it and
give it strength, and the grand source
and means for receiving these lie
partly in that mental and physical
quietude of mind which acts only
when it has full power to act If,
then. wisdom guides action either by
brain or hand, a great deal more is
accomplished, and balance of liie's
forces is kept in reserve.
In this age of rush, hurry and
tumbling over each other thousands
imagine it's necessary to be doing
something all ones waking, or, we
will say. business, hours to attain
success. Leisure is almost sin. This
is great mistnke, Thousands on
thousands are so "doing" all the
time. What does their "doing"
amount to? A pittance, a bare sub
sistence, and why?
Because there is no discretion as to
what the PERSONS force is put upon.
One woman wears her body out at
forty in polishing stoves, scrubbing
tinware and hundreds of other little
Jobs. Her mind is all absorbed in
these details. Another one sits
quietly and an idea comes to her
whereby all this work may be accom-.
plished without any physical effort
on her part, and by those who can do
nothing else. She is the more likely
to preserve her health and vigor.
Health and vigor are the belongings
of a relatively perfect maturity, and
that is even more attractive than
what is generally called youth.
1t is this habit of mind which
keeps people perpetually swinging
their legs and feet or beating tattoos
with their finger nails. All this is
useless outlay Of force, as much as
saving wood. To sit still and center
yourself on what is going on around,
or, if you can, when there is nothing
to do. think as nearly nothing as
possible, and, if you can, doze or go
into waking dream, is to store up
strength for future effort, be that
effort mental or physical.-Prentice
Milford in Neao York Star.
nn,,o autio 7 oundru