Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1893-10-21
uI n SATURDAY NIGHT.

Time Is flying and those who do not
feel younger feel older. Taking with
an old OreEonisn the other day he said
he could tramp, work or enjoy sports
ae well ss ever. The only weakness he
felt at three score and ten was a slight
failure Of bis eyesight. He demOnstrat
ed bis youthfuIness by going up to the
Old Fellows library gu a run, two
st ps at a time. But there is no more
reason why the eyes should grow dim
than that the step should not be as
elastic at seventy as at seventeen. The
fountain of perennial youth has not
been redisc ,vered but the limit of life
has not been reach I'd. AS We emergt
slowly out of the barbarism of the past
when men ate each other, and ascend
to the station where Shakespear and
the b BILE places US, "a little lower thai
the angelsp we shalt all attain to the
vitality of the hale Oregoniau aud per
haps twice that. To grow old is natur
al. TO grow young. or to remain young
in freshness and spirit ia divine.
The Apostle Paul found the citizens
OF Ephesus given up TO The worship of
Diana. We would present new Diana
for worship. Our Diana was demon
strsted but recently in reality. To
know her must have been to worship.
A little time ago there died at Put
nam, Conn.,, Mrs. Diana Douty, aged
almost lO3. Other people have lived
nearly or quite to her age In these clos
ing years of the nineteenth century
often enough t1 indicate that the aver
ag- Of human life ia lengIheniug as
mankind grow cleanler and kind
lier.
But the one fact that is remarkable
In connection with this venerable wom-
an is that she kept all her faculties un-
impaired up to the time of her death.
1t was not then disease that took her
of. She seemed simply to go when
her time came 'as quietly and serenely
as a flower closes its petals at the close
Of day. So every human life should
CACoOI Pnih CSoiJ hhu WiAlOuL lllt ucCdS
Of any mental powers. So it will close
when mankind are fully civilized.
Mrs. Douty had remarkable physical
health to begin. She had never been
Ill until year ago, when she had the
grip This physical constitution might
have given her the great longevity
But there was another cause which
kept her young as the years went by.
She was woman of bright, cheerful
disposition. Her temper was very
gentle and calm. An atmosphere of
content and good will emaDated from
her aud drew toward her the kindl
feeling of everybody who knew her.
She was helpful to all and beloved by
all. The pain, the insane passion, the
hriveling anxiety that burn away the
nerve forces and age men and women
seem to have had no hold upon Diana
Douty.
Take a walk into the woods these In-
dian summer days See the glowing
mapel, the brilliant coral clusters on
the wild rose bushes, the snowy luster
Of the waxberries, the deep blue-black
Of the haws by the brookside; listen to
the rich musical muImur of the water
as 1t dashes In minor keys. In the
bright sunshine of spring it rippled
aud tinkled like silver cymbals over
the stones. Now 1t Is low aud sweet
like lullaby song from the throat of "a
mature woman grooming over beloved
child. Indeed there are beautiful
things in an Oregon forest In autumn.
A father carrying heavy satchel,
with three small children following
him, the oldest a little girl Of perhaps
ten, carrying another satchel, all walk
Ing slowly along street In the suburbs
Is sight suggestive of much food for
reflection. A wide band Of cheap Grape
on the fathers hat shows that he Is
alone In the world TO battle for his little
ones and Is not blessed with much
wealth. The little procession as Il
passes slowly along emoodies all the
pathos of life. AL that has been writ,
ten and preached Is here brought 10 ,
mind with all the directness Of Greek
drama by Eurlpides or a tragedy by ,
r