Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1905-03-11

study all their mental faculties were
they withered up into u fossilized and
embalmed old age.
Conditions in our college faculties
have radically changed since the time
went 10 college. DIR. 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 fifty years of age
it will be blessed with a 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. If work and work hard
up to sixty years of age l have a 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 out to grass and
DO nothing but play and play and play
| know if l can stop work l 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. IL
that is your expectation Of spending
your life when your hair has become
slvered | tell you you will be doomed
to bitter disappointment. In the first
place. you will not have good time If
you stop working. In the second place,
il you stop working. instead of prolong-
ing your life. as you expect. you will
shorten it by many years. have rare
ly seen ii fail where a man voluntarily
gives up work so that he can pass q
lazy old age that he is a miserably un-
happy being and finds premature
grave. And l have rarely found 1t to
fail if an old man branches out in new
work that the years of his earthly life
are increased.
Hard Work and Long Life.
AS Il 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
Flushing TO the Front" has a marvel
Gus collection Of illustrations in refer
ence to this fact Dandolo the doge Of
Venice. was u warrior who led his SOL
diers in battle at ninety-four and was
offered crown ut ninety-six. Titan
at ninetynine was struck down with
the cholera in Venice when he was at
work on one of his canvases Pope
Leo NH. at ninety three was the most
powerful personality in all Europe
both on account of his pontifical throne
and his own powerful mental equip
ment. When an American bishop said
to him. Your holiness. we hope God
may let you live to become a centena-
rian." the pope answered: MY friend,
do not try to limit the power Of God.
/ expect to be as hard at work after I
am hundred years old as am now"
DR.. Samuel Johnson wrote his greatest
book when nearly eighty. James Watt
learned German when he was eighty
five. Isaac Newton and Benjamin
Franklin We're hard at work on scien-
tific subjects when over eighty. Lord
Palmerston and William f. 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 fifty.
And some of the best works OF Long
fellow. Whittier and Tennyson were
written after they were seventy"
Aged friend, the reason you are
cause you have stopped branching out.
You have taken in sail and are drift
ing, simply drifting, toward the rocks
Of death. and drifting fast. Take n
new lease of life by taking a new inter
est in things. Study. study. study.
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 it es-
tablished old soldiers homes. where
the old veterans of the civil war could
go and live and do nothing. If an old
soldier is physically helpless. then, Of
course, he should he cared for. But a
we'll soldier I'm Danville. ILL.,. or Santa
Monica, Cal. or Milwaukee, Wis. or
the Old Soldiers home in Washington
should he encouraged to work IL he is
able to. Stagnation means premature
death. mental and physical as we'll as
spiritual. 1T is better to wear out
than to rust out" is poor maxim.
We have no right to do either. But
would tell those who are coming on
toward old age there is more danger
for most of us of rusting out than of
wearing out.
Don't Talk of Troubles.
How should we renew the strength