The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-03-12

tion I ever saw written by physician
was OF to be taken in small pills, but In
knockdown Doses The prescription was
a sign placed ~ the rotunda Of large
canitarium In the central part of New
York state. It was in most conspicuous
position, where all the patients could see
It II read thus: Don't talk about
your pains and your ailments"
Doctor. why did you put that sign
up?" I asked. why" said he, that
sign has cured more of my patients than
any twenty prescriptions ever wrote
Every morning my sick people would
come down and greet each other as fol-
lows: Good morning! How DO you feel?
l i'd you sleep veil last night? Is your
headache better? Then the person ac-
costed would begin to rehearse II the
hours she lay awake and all the pains
she had. BY the time she was through
the story her pains would again begin
to gnaw and her nerves to twitch and
she was on the way to another sleepless
night Don't talk about your ailments
II is by talking about the troubles of
OIL. age that we increase those troubles
But. though talking about the troubles
OF old age always increases those trou-
bes, vet most people love to rehearse the
mefortunes of the past. They never
seem to be happy unless they are talk
more, they never spm to be happy I'M
less you are ready to talk about them
also and to expatiate upon them Ben
jamin Disraell late premier Of England.
we'll understood this law. One day he
was walking through one of the streets
OF Ii ndon when he met a gentleman.
This man spoke to him as though thew
were old friends well. said Disraeli
"how is the old complaint" with that
fhn gto nff IN
count of his troubles.
After they separated another man who
was walking with the English statesman
at the time said. "Disrae1i. who Is your
friend?" II do not know: do not re-
m ;mber ever seeing him before" t'Whv
did you ask him. then How is the old
complaint" oh said Dsraeli. call
people have troubles of some sort. and it
pleases most of them to talk ABOUT them.
I rarely make a mistake II I say. How
is your old complaint?' It pleases them
to recount their troubles. and II does
no. hurt me-" Yes. II may not have
hurt Disraeli when that man talked
about his troubles but II did hurt the
speaker. The easiest of WAYS to tighten
the burdens of old age is to hide them
from the eyes Of others.
FIT Them to Take Your Place.
But lastly. I remark. the easiest OF all
ways to renew youth is to try to fit 9TH
ere to take your place after you are gone.
OF course I take for granted that am
today talking to Christians. Now as
aged Christians, you are nearing the
great dividing line which is going to
bring you to your eternal reward. As
you are nearing heaven shall you spend
most of your time talking about heaven
and its eternal rewards? Oh. no. You
must spend nearly all of your last days
II. fitting the young men and women by
your side to ta'e your place. You must
be to your son and your daughter and
your friends what Paul was to Timothy.
and Elijah was to Elisha. and Christ was
to his disciples In the anxiety to AT
others to put on your own armor you will
find your own heart throbbing with the
ambitions of youth. You will then find
old age taking IN the beauties of youth
even as in the Indian summer the flow
er1 of the late autumn start to grow
again after the forests have incarnadIned
the leaves with their life's blood.
Old age should pass It's twilight hours
as would pass the few intervening
DAYS PRIOR to making long journey away
from home. If was to go to Africa or
Europe or Asia as an American soldier
would spend nv last days here in weep
ing? oh. no. would spend the few
days before sailed in preparation.
would say to my wife: MY dear, you
do this or that or the other thing after I
am gone. mrst put enough money in
the hank in your name to meet your
wants" II was merchant. would
say to my son: "Son. you are now to
take charge Of the store. do not want
Won to run into debt. Keep the business
going along on its old lines" II had
on, boy who was hayward son would
talk TO him about God and his future
/ would try-oh. try 80 hard-to lead him
to Christ. Each moment Of my LIE would