Evening journal., 1906-09-15
Editorial Opinion
oId Ace and ths sImpIe LIfe


New York Herald
How to live long has been a problem
ever since man learned to count time.
Its proper solution bears on the in
stinctive desire TO prove the doctrine
OF the survival Of the fittest. Il would
not live Away Is only sung at fu-
.nerals. The words are put in the stin
mouth when it is unable TO answer
back. SO long as there Is a chance OF
lengthening his days man Is more than
willing to postpone the resignation to
the inevitable. The older he grows the
more he becomes interested I'm his
seniors. He compares notes with his
old associates by reading their obituar-
les
1t is always a comfort to think that
there Is an advance guard that must
receive the next FIRE The further the
scouting tine ana the rifle pits are
ahead the better for those behind. IL
i' always matter Of concern how long
these Older chaps held out. but. more
than that, how they managed to do II,
II they succeeded at all in making any
kind OF a fight
Thus q very old person is an inter-
esting object for study. Methuselah
holds the record in this regard. and
ever since his time he has been a
shining mark for laudable emulation
Old Parr did very well to reach the
age OF 1852, living in the reign OF ten
sovereigns, completing one century,
touching two marginal ones, marrying
in his 120th year and becoming a
father in the following one; but such
Instances are rare enough to be excep-
tional examples Of ruddy defiance Of
natures law. Fate I'm splitting the diff
ference between life and death in his
case merely happened on tough knot.
Nowadays, however, we live faster and
die younger.
The century mark Is by common con-
sent the acknowledged limit Of the
most ambitious and expectant mortal.
II by any chance the lucky man or wo-
man makes the score the feat is duly
chronicled to the world at large. Then,
also. we are usually told how they did
Il. how they ate and drank, their opn-
ions regarding whskey, tea, tobacco
and how they could dance, sing songs,
drink and smoke and be. merry to the
end
The real truth of the matter how
ever, depends a great deal on the man
who furnishes the paragraph. The ex-
fperiences must necessarily vary. They
are only consistent in so far that the
individual continued TO live whether
or no. II is the question Of the oak
against the mullen stalk
Mrs Lovett, the grand old lady Of
West Chester. who died at the age Of
t02. was one Of the recent examples OF
the sort. She lived the simple, old
! lfashioned life. and exempllfed the one
principle upon which extra longevity
tcepends II was the good start in the
lold days against the new start OF the
present and giving nature a chance in
her own simple way While 1t may be
( impossible in these days to experience
land repeat such opportunities to the
/ full. we can at least strive To approach
the ideal methods ms far as possible.
The fortunate beginning Is with a
sturdy heredity Next to being able to
fSele1t our ancestors. as humorouslN
lsueeested By Oliver Wendell Holmes,
we should appreciate the blessing Of
being born strong ana healthy. Most
of the diseases that are difficult "a
cure descend in the family strain. The
acquired maladies are largely the re-
suit OF neglected preventive measures
But even With these reductions of odds
against us. rendered. more and more
dnncult By the cxaGing strains and
Worries OF advancing civilization. We
ARE yet far from matching our ances'
tors I'm constitutional vigor, vitality
, and disease resistance.
In the old days every mother nurses
her child; plain food was the onlN
nOurishment. There was not 50 muci
foolish fear OF Indigestion as concern
to give the youngstcr enough to eat ol
what there was at hand.
All the vital organs were thus main.
tanned IN harmonious action Heart
brain or stomach did not break dowI
and wear out before its time
Nursing bottles, patent baby foods
nerve exhaustion. microbes stcrllizet
drinking water. specialists for ever,
organ and the numerous other penal
ties of progress were unknown. an,
man lived to he better and stronger ia
; blissful ignorance OF the WINS ant
whereforcs Of the art fial and scien
tlhcanv strained methods OF noderI
iivinr than now seems possible.
This Is the wire age We have al
extra nervous system hitchod to on
own Everything Is done to annihilat
time Thousands upon thousands dro
IN The race. Is IL any wonder that W
have so few centenarians?