Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1903-04-24
HOW HE KEEPS HIS HEART YOUNG,
Ex-Gov. Holbrook Writes to Gov Mccullough
of Some Things He Loves to Consider.

An interesting correspondence recent
" took place between Gov. McCul-
Tough and Ex- Gov Frederick Holbrook
of Brattleboro. The former wrote to
congratulate the latter on having just
passed his Goth milestone, his birthday
occurring on Feb. ID last. Gov. Hol-
brook replied at some length. saying
among other things:
"Our state has often given healthy
and successful tone to the public al
fairs of our whole country. During the
late Civil war she acted her part in the
struggle with dignity and important
effect. The call for 300, 600 three years
men and 300, 900 nine months men had
its origin in letters to President LIN
coin from Vermont, and was the means
of bringing the war to speedy close
thereafter. President Lincoln said to
Secretary Stanton and Provost Mar
shall Simeon Draper. at meeting held
with them at the secretary's office the
morning after receiving my letter urg-
ing such call for additional troops /:
Il have here a letter from Governor
Holbrook that solves all our difficulties
respecting call for large additional
force. Buried six months of the year
in the SHOWS of Vermont winter, /
would give more for his judgment and
opinion than that of all these polite
ians that surround us in Washington.
~ can hardly realize that l have
lived through nine decades of mortal
life, and am now started on the tenth
decade, which, however, in the nature
of things, is of uncertain tenure, being
on the extreme outer edge of humanlife
+ Longevity is largely due to two
factors: good hereditary inheritance,
and sufficient strength of will power
for self-government and control. y
"What changes l have seen in my 80
years. progress of the world, and in
mankind, seems to be the design and
plan of Our Father which art in Heav-
en-. - And although His ultimate de-
signs are often kept in sacred reserve
which we mortals cannot penetrate,
still we see that-"It is love that
makes the world goround;' y
"This is comforting thought for
all ages, and especially for old age, and
how much the light which comes
streaming in SO fast upon us in these
later days is directing the religious
views of mankind to the true inward
ness of the first words of the Lords
Prayer'-'Our Father which art in
Heaven Preachers, especially our
young ministers, with modern educa-
ton, direct their audiences more to
love of God, so amply shown in all his
works and ways, than to an angry God,
intent on the endless punishment of
sinners for the imperfections and in
firmities of human nature. So progress
of the human race is seen in these re-
suits of more enlightened teachings, as
we'll as in the vast discoveries, inven-
tions and facilities, elevating and i'm
proving the world and mankind.
sin my old age l love to consider
these things. And am daily thankful
now that through life have cultivat-
ed love and taste for sentiment, for
now it warns the heart, cheers the
spirit, enlarges the observation and
auickens the imagination, thus keep
ing the heart young and fresh In fact,
what color is to nature, that refined
sentiment is to human nature; and
each were impoverished indeed if
robbed of its distinctive coloring."