The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-05-16
LIVING A CENTURY.
How tho Dihlouit Feat Has Been Az.
OOlM plisha cd.


How tho Dinlouit Feat Has Bsen Az.
oomplishsd.
That life Ia worth living. ID shown by tho
general interest manifested IN knowing how
che difaoult feat Of bscoming . o%sntsnasian
has bsen accomplished. says an exchanges.
Every "pointer" which the fortunate man
OF his surviving relatives may give Is
saasrly seized upon. Ais habits, whether
those OF An eArly riser or a late ~retirsr.
whether those Of . total sbstainer from or
OF q moderate user Of alcoholic beverages,
or even OF u chronic tippier, whether nd
forms. are read with interest and oom-
mented uron In favor OF one theory or
another. For there ars data upon which
the advocates OF tho most opposite views
onn construct a sauita'y doctrine to their
Individual liking. Az q matter OF fact.
longevity as any ono factor.
Ihc c~entenRtian II found in all rncss, IN
all countries. In all clHsses OF society, in NIL
conditions OF life. The carnage OF tho bat
tie field seems to agree with some conssitu-
tons. Take the Il ecnwioh hospital in
mates and tho perennial veterans OF Nnro-
Icons long and bloody wars as exnmplsS.
They hang IN to existsncs with a Ierse-
veranoe NJ heroic 40 was thor condnct on tho
plains Of Waterloo. II is to be notsd In
passing that those who attain tho extreme
limit OF human life nrs fond of recountinQ
the prowcss Of their ancestors in the same
direction. Adam, u Is true. had no chance
10 boast of his family record. but tho OK
ception only confirms the rule. and some OF
his Immediate descendants fully made up
for tho lost opportunity OF their f,at pro
gsnitor. Their aRe WAS phenomenal right
straight through from Seth to Mothusalem.
whose ca.ser some curious people have
figured out waG untimely cut of by ths
dsluge.
TO come down to more historic times. the
Hebrew pa'riarchs were of . long lived
family. Able Fleury Is authority for the
statement that their pastoral life. an ab-
sencs OF luxury and habits Of moderate in
dustry had much 10 do with this. When
they became agrioulturists. artisans and
merchants. whom excessive toll, confinement
q luxury came, tho years of this childron
OF Israel were shortened. They were then
a. the rest of mankind. A Moses Monte
fore was tho execution and not the rule.
A French physician. Dr.. dc Bossy. whose
hundredth anniversary was celebrated nj
Havre last month. is one Of the latest in
stances of hereditary longevity. His father
lived to b. los ysars Of age. lhe doctor
any regimen. He docs not believe
use and not the abuse of the good
things Of life. But he has made ons OK
c~eption. He ia an inordinats lover OF
coffee. But he has never smoked. 1t would
have ruined his teeth. which would haye
in turn acted i~njurlously on his stomach
and ruined his health, il not shortened hit
life. Tho doctor is another example OF the
verses OF Hudibrns arropos of the vioes
which he is not inclined to.
Then thoie IL Gladstone. His parliament.
tary life would not permit of his following
the rule of early to bed and early to rise,'
at least during the sessions of the house OF
commons. for that iilustrious body has the
bad habit of celebrating on the affairs OF
the British empire during tho hours that
honest people should be in bed. 1t II
Gladstone's excuse. Without the famous
~octogenarian might be accused of furnish
ing anything but an edifyinQ example &c
yonth by walking around the streets oil
London at midnight, and thus furnishing Il
target for fanatic opponents of his Irish
home rule measure.
The pope. as is just. considering his emf.
nent ecclesiastical position, is q better pat
tetn for family life. albeit q bachelor. Lee
XIII. IL a man after Poor Richards Uwn
heart. He has reached his great nge and
ut the san,o time preserved undiminished
his intellectual faculties by a life of Eegu-
larity and frugality.
trious examples OF opposing methods can
be cited, who shall decide whether regimen
or 10 regimen shall rule? One fact re.
mains, and that is that those whose age hal
far exceeded that Of their fellows arc in M
haste to ''shuflle off this mortal COLL
Vanity of v%anities, all is vnnity,'' says the
preacher, yet the Wise Man clunR onto
existence with a grip which was extremely
tenacious.