, 1888-06-27
WHY WE R O OLD.
Ignorance and Misspent Energy-Take the
World a Little Easier.

NA
World a Little Easier.
II at 80 or s5 you expect to be
an old man or woman at 65, you will
be one, because tho mind makes the
material correspondence Of whatever
1t sets itself permanently upon Amy
person continually in fear Of something
will bear the marks Of such fear craven
in his or her face II you so look for
ward to such decay of the body as a thing
that must come, il 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 60 because they have
always received it as an Inevitable neces-
sity, from which there was no possible
escape, that they must be on the down
hill side of life at that age. 1t is t them
a Flaw Of nature"
1t is for them only the law of lgnor-
nnce- There are still a great many claws
OF nature" Of which we know little or
nothing. To say impossible" to the
idea that people cannot live longer than
the present average of life, and at the
same time be strong and healthy at n
great age, Is to put ourselves In the
long catalogue 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.
1t is a 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, be-
cause In such condition mind and body
are recuperating and filling 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, wis
dow guides action either by brain or
hand, a great deal more Is accomplished,
and a balance of life's forces is kept In
reserve.
In this age of rush, hurry and tumb-
ling 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
a sin. This Is a great mistake. Thou
sands on thousands are SO doing" all the
time. What does their doing amount
tot A pittance, a bare subsistence, and
why?
Because there Is no discretion as to
h the PERSONS force is put upon One
woman wears her body out at 40 in pol
tshing 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 moth
ing else. She is the more likely to pre-
serve her health and vigor. Health and
vigor are the belongings of a relatively
perfect maturity, and that is ever more
attractive than what is generally called
youth.
1t is this habit of mind which keepe
people perpetually swinging their legs
and feet or beating tattoos with their
finger nails. ALI 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 IL you can doze or go into a
waking dream, is to store up strength
for future effort, be that effort mental or
physical.-Prentice milford in New
York Star.