The Progress., 1898-07-23

at least 80 per cent of Improvement. Now,
would it not be grand if the good Lord
would say to you: "Iou can 90 back and
try it over again. Will by Il word turn
your hair to black or brown or golden, and
smooth all the wrinkles out of your tenn,
plc or check, and take the bend out of
your shoulders, and cXtirpatc the stiffness
from the joint, and the rheumatic tWingc
from the foot, and you shall be - years Of
age and just what you were when you
reached that point before" If the PROPOSE
ton were made, think many thousands
would accept it.
That feeling caused the ancient search
for what was called the fountain of
youth, the waters of which, taken, would
turn the hair Of the octogcnarian into the
curly locks of u boy, and, however old a
person WnO drank ut that fountain, he
would be young again. The island was
said to belong to the group of bahamas,
but lay far out in the ocean The great
spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon,
fellow yOragcr Of Columbus, | have no
doubt felt that if he could discover that
fountain of youth he would do as much
IT'S his friend had done in discovering
America SO he put out in 15l2 from
Porto Rico and cruiscd about among the
Bahamas in search Of that fountain. | am
glad he did not find it, There is no such
fountain But If there were, and its wa
tiers were bottled up and sent abroad at
81, 900 bottle, the demand would be
greater than the supply, and many man
who has come through q lifo of uselcss,css
and perhaps sin to old age would be sEak-
ing up the potent liquid, and If he WIRE
directed to take only a tcaspoonful after
each meal would be so anxious to make
sure work he would take tablespoonful.
and if directed to take a tablespoonful
would take glassful.
Generations Back.
But some of you would have to 60 back
further than to q years of age to make a
fair start, for there are many who manage
to get all wrong before that period. Yea,
In order to get fair start some would
have to go back to the father and mother
and get them corrected-yca, to the grand
father and grandmother and have their
ing from bad hereditary influences which
started 100 years ago Well, if your grand
father lived his life over again, and your
father lived his life over again, and you
lived your life over again, what clutter
ed I'D place this world would be-a place
filled with miserable attempts at repairs.
begin to think that it is better for each
generation to have only one chance, and
then for them to pass off and give another
generation chance. Besides that, il we
were permitted to live life over again. it
would be stale and stupid experience.
The zest and spur and enthusiasm of life
been along this .oad before, and every
thing is new, and we are alert for what
may appear at the next turn of the road.
Suppose you, man Of midlifc or old age,
were with your present feelings and large
attainments put back intoIhe thir les or
the twentcs or in the teens, what nui-
sance you would be to others and what an
unhappiness to yo.rsclf! Your contem-
poraries would not want you, and you
would not want them. Things that in
your previous journey of life stirred your
healthful ambition or gave you pleasurable
surprise or led you into happy interroga
ton would only call forth from you dis
gusted "Oh, pshaw" You would be blase
at 80, and misanthrope at 40, and unen,
durable at 90 The most inaue and stupid
thing imaginable would be a second jour
ney of life. 1t is amusing to hear people
say, II would like to live my life over
again if l could take my present expert
ence and knowledge Of things back with
me and begin under those improved aus
pices." Why, what an uninteresting boy
you would be with your present attain
mcnts in child's mind No one would
want such boy around the house-a phi
losopher at co. a scientist at 10, an archB
| ologist at 10 and domestic nuisance all
.l~.I b..