The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-03-07

az they had mastered that one line Of
study all their mental faculties were
then allowed to become dormant. Thus
they withered up into fossilized and
, embalmed old age.
Conditions in our college faculties
have radically changed since the time
| went to college. DR.. William r. Har-
per, the great president Of Chicago uni
versity, has led in this mighty reform.
As the head of one Of the greatest uni
| versities Of the west he has practically
said this: I'VE do not want any OF our
college professors to mark time In this
mental advancement. We expect them
not only to do their class room work.
but to keep on in their original investi-
cations. These Investigations each year
are expected to take wider and wider
scope" And what will be the result?
Instead Of Chicago university faculty
being burdened In the future with lot
Of old men At forty or nifty years Of age
| it will be blessed with number OF
young men-yOung In heart, young in
mind, young in purpose at seventy or
even eighty years of age.
"Oh, no." says some one to me; that
is not right. II work and work hard
up to sixty years Of age have right
to retire from work and have a good
rest If live ten years more l intend
to hand over the business to the boys
and Just turn myself ont to grass and
do nothing but play and play and play.
l know II can stop work I can live
longer and have a good time besides
Is that your idea Of the way Of spend
ing your years when you pass the three
score milestone? Well, my friend, If
that Is your expectation Of spending
your life Wien your hair has become
silvered tell you you will be doomed
to bitter disappointment. In the first
place. you will not have a good time "
you stop working. In the second place,
II you stop working, instead Of proiong.
ing your life, as you expect, you will
shorten 1t by many years. l have rare
ly seen it fail where a man voluntarily
gives up work 80 that he can pass a
lazy old age that he il a miserably un
happy being and hnds a premature
grave. And l have rarely found 1t to
fail II an old man branches out in new
work that the years of his earthly life
are increased.
Hard Work and Long Life.
As a rule, the greatest thinkers and
the hardest mental workers in the
world have been among the longest
lived men. Study the long list of men
old In years but young in heart, branch
ing out into new work when at seventy
years or beyond. Marden, in his book
Pushing to the Front" has marvel
GUS collection Of illustrations in refer
ence to this fact. Dandolo, the doge Of
Venice, was warrior who led his sol
diers in battle at ninety-four and was
offered a crown at ninety-six. Titan
at ninety mine was struck down with
the cholera in Venice when he was at
| work on one Of bis can~ases. Pope
Leo XIII. at ninety-three was the most
powerful personality In all Europe
both On account of his pontifcaI throne
and his own powerful mental equip
ment. When an American bishop said
to him, "Your holiness, we hope God
q
rian," the pope answered: my friend,
do not try to limit the power OF God.
I expect to be as hard at weEk after
am a hundred years old as am now"
Dr. Samuel johnson wrote his greatest
book when nearly eighty. James Watt
learned German when he was eighty
i've. Isaac Newton and Benjamin
HI hos NJ
tific subjects when over eighty. Lord
Palmerston and William e. Gladstone
were both prime ministers Of England
at fourscore years. Robert Hail."
says Marden, Learned Italian when
past sixty. Noah Webster mastered
seventeen languages after he was nifty.
And some Of the best works Of Long
fellow, Whittier and Tennyson werv
written after they were seventy"
Aged friend, the reason yes are
growing old and whitening up IL be
cause you have stopped branching out
You have tsken In sail and are drift
ing, simply drifting, toward the rocks
of death, and drifting fast. Take
new lease Of life by taking new inter
S8t Ii QAlA40s 0SNVJJ Otauys otWAs
Work, work, work. Go and hear every
fine singer and every good speaker and
read every new book that you can.
| The most foolish law the United States
government ever made was when 1t e.
tablished old soldiers homes, where
the old veterans OF the civil war could
80 and live and do nothing. II an old
soldier is physically helpless, then, OF
course, he thould be cared for. But .
well soldier in Danville, ILL.,, or Santa
Monica, Cal, or Milwaukee, Wis, or
the Old Soldiers home in Washington
should be encouraged to work II be In
able to. St4gnation means premature
death, mentel and physical as well -
/ spiritual 1T Is better to wear out
than to rust out" II a poor maxim.
We have no right to do either. But /
would tell those who are coming on
| toward old age there 10 more danger
for NEST Of ~ Of rusting out than OF
| wearing out. ~ -
DOn,t Talk Of Treubles.
How should we renew the strength
Of young manhood BY never talking
| about our ailments or misfortunes II