The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1903-04-03
Nc +. U.COLUMN.
Temrsrauce and Long Life.

tmrefanCe ahd Lung LIE
The Sunday sch ol story a t5r
mer days was hardy considered
complete unless i taught that the
good die young" The climax o.
The writer's skull and Il the reader's
sympathy cen,ertd about the death
bed scene Of some angelic Eva, and
scarcely question wss raised, but
lthat this was n il should ne to
make literature true to life.
It's true there is something I'M
Icongruous in sending a hero o. her
oine out 10 the future unpIepaTed
But as a matter Of fact, thoIgh. ia
those days Of picty il did not in
cIude "temperance In all things,
and the asce,ic iiy- usually lOr-
trayei were quite sancliiisd ia many
hings, and the stories We're there
tore true to life IS it was, yet they
were quite imperfect in their opedi
ence TO the laws Of God II they
had been in harmony wIta al the
laws Of life, il wond have been a
contradiction Of cause and effect /,
10 have portrayed the early demise
of the good FIR we now know
with certainty that the abstemi-
Gus, temperate, pure, obedlent,
righteous life will not be the short
est but the longest.
This scientific fact has by no
means gained a thorough foothold
"a modern literature, and great
many good Christian people still
nave a lurking impression that no
amount OF physical care will keep
the large eyed, overly wise, unset
fish child out of Heaven until ma
turity. Quite forgetful Of the plain
gospel statement sit is not the
will of your Heavenly Father that
one Of these little ones should per-
Iish, they also fail TO match this
with "the Divine whisper Of to-
day prevention. And especially
when the inevitable is but the reap
ing Of their own sowing, il is but
natural that parents should be
greatly relieved BY an appeal to
Providence. This may sound Sc
we're, but is it not true? As it be-
comes more apparent that intem-
perance is not merely a matter
about which we are to pity the ine-
briate and scolu society, but thing
that applies to all our eating, drink
ing and living il is evident 10 all
intelligent people that long life is
largely a matter within our own
control.
To the modern world, the pro-
blem Of longevity should not bs
matter of magic or mystery. With
our present knowledge along the
lines Of life science, the average
term Of human life ought TO be both
greater and more definitely known.
Without attempting To wrest from
Providence the destiny Of man, we
may yet determine the approximate
length q lite in any given
case by the immutabl= laws of cause
and effect. To say, as many do,
that eve will all die anyway, when
our time comes, (" i to express both
skepticism and superstition. As if
it made no differences whether We
obey the divine laws OF nature.
Such a statement is but ar appeal
70 blind fate, and an ignorant dis
regard Of scientific facts concerning
the way we ought TO live That
long life depend up n the s'liser'
l. true in more than 9ue sense.
Not less does Il depend upon the
action of every
natural function. Whether we live
out the three score years and ten,
we may reveren,ly say, depend. far
more upon ourselves than upon
God. For while God has created
u sai given us The b;eath
Of diviner life tnan that Of
The beast, and surrounded us
With the natural elements of lfA.
and for these blessings we are con- !
iinualy dependentupon His mercy,
yet upor r-dsp ands, afer all, the ,
question OF whether we will right ,
iully use or abuse the blessings
A great scientist has said: Let
ne feed the criminals Of The conn- i
ry for hundred years and will
,ure Grim >. (" Then surely we can
'afely saw: Whenever all children !
ire fed, from the cradle TO man |
looi, on nonstimuating principles,
IN that day we shal! see the end Of {
ntemperance as a national vice.