The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-19
Longevity.

1t is said that during the past yea
twenty-three centenarians died in IA,
State Of Massachusetts. Eight Of til,
twenty-three were born in Ireland. ant
seven in the United States. This bit G
statistics suggests some speculations OF
the subject of longevity.
1t is unquestionably true that the life
of the average man in civilized countries
is not as long as it used to be. Men veal
out more quickly under the strain and
hurry of modern life. and possibly they
do not always find life worth living after
they have passed certain age. The de-
sire to live is of great value as pro-
| moter of longevity. 1t may be noted that
| most of the centenarians in this Massa-
| chusetts list were foreigners. probably OF
| the peasant class. They were people in
| ured TO hardship, with simple wants and
| good constitutions. The moral of this is
! that il man wishes to live to be a
| hundred years oil! he should live simply
and keep in good condition.
But is the desire for long life as strong
now as formerly? Judging by the talk
of 1.-THE man in the street" that is. the
average person whom one meets casually
or on terms of intimacy, it seems as il
change had taken place in public opin-
ion regarding this matter. The old-time
toast was Long life to you!' but the
modern man seems rather to be anxious
to have 4 good time while he is at his
best. and then die without many years Of
old age. This is especially true of the
city dweller.
1t is unquesticnably true that the lot
of the aged is not as attractive as 1t used
to be. There is less room for them in
the world. Business is so consolidated
and systematized that it has no room
for the man of seventy unless he is the
owner Of the concern, in which case he
cannot very well be pushed aside. The
lawyer, too, is not very much affected by
old age. Ii he has a reputation he can
live on that for the last ten years of
his life. and his name is worth something
in case, even II most of the work Is
done by his younger partner. The same
is true of physician. But in the case
of clergyman, college professor, a
journalist, or a man who works at trade,
old age is distinctly disadvantage, and
it begins at least ten years earlier than
it did three generations ago.
1t has come to the point, therefore,
where the last fifteen years of the av-
erage mans life are years of depend
ence, of uselessness. and of monotony.
The prospect of having these years multi
piled is not agreeable to him. The idea
of living to be ninety or a hundred years
old has no charms for him. He sees no
good thing that can come to him thereby.
The farmer is the only man to whom the
prospect of attaining his hundredth BIRTH
day is endurable. There is always some
thing that an old man can do on farm;
some younger members of the family to
whom he can be of use. something which
he can observe and enjoy. He finds the
leisure of old age pleasant, because he
has had but little leisure, and there is
always somebody with time to listen to
his "reminiscences. His life. moreover,
favors longevity; and SO it happens that
most centenarians are found in the coun-
try. They are not showed into a corner
there; their few wants can be supplied |
without the direct outlay of money, and |
they are not unrooted from the scenes |
in which they spent their active life. But |
as for the city man. his days are, and will |
probably continue to be. few and full of |
evil. It is not possible to have ones cake |
and eat it. too, or TO live twenty years
IN ten and not have to pay for it.