The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-07-28
THE GROUND PRINCIPLE OF LONG LIFE.

It is said to be "a statistical fact that
members of the Society of Friends
live several years longer than the
average age of the human family.
Their quiet, tranquil habits are given
as a reason for this longevity. 1t is
questionable whether they are main
tanning this distinction in these later
days, when we find them engaging in
excitements of all sorts, just as other
people, thought to be more worldly
minded, do, and taking active hand
in the great enterprises of the day
that forbid the rest and repose of
mind and body that characterized the
old-time Quaker. But even if they
are growing WillinG tn shorten their
days for a faster pace in this hurry
ing age, they have yet served use
full purpose in exhibiting to the world
that a quiet spirit is a ground princi-
pie of long life.
Quiet is Christian virtue. Paul
advised "that ye study to be quiet,
and to do your own business, and
work with your own hands !" said
'that it was good and acceptable in
the sight of God for kings, and for
all that are in authority, to lead a
quiet and peaceable life" He even
said, ''let the woman learn in silence" !"
which the Head of the Sidneys de-
clares is an utter impossibility, and
spoke of the ornament that ga meek
and quiet spirit would be to her. 1t
was one of the pithy, practical sayings
of Solomon that ''he that ruleth his
spirit is better than he that taketh a
city," and he deplored the condition
of that man who hath no rule over
his own spirit. Isaiah, who is called
the prince Of all the prophets, assert
ed that "in greatness and in conf
dence shall be your strength" The
sacred writings might be quoted with
out stint, and observation would prove
the truth of their teachings, showing
how beneficial is quit and its yoke
fellow, peace, to the race of man.
Let us look around among those
we have known who have lived to
great ages and see what were their
habits and traits of character. Lu-
cretia Mott, who lived to be eighty
seven years old, was a slight, frail
woman, with quiet, refined manners,
but great force of character. Her un
ruf1ed disposition, and pacific gentle
way of pleading the cause of the op-
pressed, gave great weight and in
huence 10 her words, and enabled her
to endure the asperities and hardships
that belong to the reformer's lot with
out injury.
She perhaps, was the highest tpye
of a gentle, forceful public woman
that this country ever saw. Of an
home and family, 1 might mention
Mary Hill Willard, mother of Frances
Elizabeth. A great mother was she,
who ruled her household by quiet,
loving methods, and came to be al
most idolized by her distinguished
daughter.
She lived to be eighty eight years
old. 1 can but think that had Frances
the best beloved woman in America
Inherited more of her mothers S
quiet, home-loving spirit, and had not
reached out beyond her strength to
take hand in everything, in all re-
forms the world over, which brought
down untold tribulations and trials
upon her defence1ess head, she might
have added another quarter of CEN
tury to her life of unblemished use
fulness.
All about us are quiet, God-fear-
ing, but industrious and useful men
and women, whose days are being ex-
tended to great lengths, simply, it
would seem, because they are so help
full and of such good example in their
families and in the community about
them that they cannot be spared.
God knows we have great need of
these sort of men and women, but the
trend of the times is in the opposite
direction. Constant excitements,
night frolics, endless reading, platform
drills, loss of sleep, and general fri
volity are not the methods by which
to train up sensible, thoughtful girls,
who are to fill the ranks of the gen
tie, self-sacrifcing mothers fast pass
ing away.
There is a great deal said about
making homes attractive, so the young
people will not want to wander away
from them; but it is a private opin-
ion one hardly dares to express, that
there is too much being done for
young America in the well-to-do
classes. They are coddled, humor-
ed and given the easy places, while
the parents take the rough ones,
until the parlor has come to be looked
upon as their orbit, while the mother
elves and moves and has her being"
in the kitchen.
It stands to reason that more help
fulness to their mothers, and more
thoughtfulness about the require
ments of happy home, would con-
tribute greatly to their solid worth,
better fit them for the duties that God
in his wisdom assigned to woman.
Let them be trained to know that
they are to help make home happy
for their parents, rather than expect
the old folks to make all the hardships
for their enjoyment. A closer appli-
cation to home industries would be
quieting and beneficial to our young
people.
Fashionable society is not promo
ter of health and long life. Ultra
fashionable folks of great wealth find
the constant round of dressing and
driving, of dancing and dining, o.
calling and receiving, so laboriou:
and wearisome to the flesh that, after
few weeks spent in the giddy whirl
they go off TO some retired country
seat, far away from all gay associates
Just such home as you and I enjoy
| III +I,a +;.,,a xuhara fhav Caf cot a1f