The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1908-11-12
Paper Read Before the ChdauduQua Circle.

mY OBJECT in writing this pa
NH Der is not in order to refer any
man or woman who ultimately
may read it, TO new remedy
or cure revealed to one of the elect i'll
the world of medical science. All the
so-called elixirs of life, all the pills,
mixtures, powders aud medicines can
never help single human being to re-
tain youth as the years fit by. All
kinds of drugs, whether extracted from
roots and herbs, animals or minerals,
are but necessary evils; and dare say,
evils that before the human race has
grown a decade or two older will be
discarded, and the science pertaining
to them forgotten, and the countless
volumes written and printed concern
ing their chemical extractiOns and mix
ing, and their use, will exist no more,
except for a few copies divided be-
tween the different ,antiquarians and
national Libraries. l could cite medi-
cal authorities of the highest standing
as corroborative testimony to this
statement of mine, among others, King
Edward of England's favorite physi-
clan, DR.. Sir Frederick Treves, aud the
famous professor Schweinger, the ia
vorite physician of Bismarck and
Wagner, and DR.. OsDer, professor at
Oxford, who is cons dered to be the
greatest living physician and surgeon,
who among other trite things has said,
that the best doctor is he who knows
the wOrthlessness of drugs or medicines,
and who further said once in public
lecture that only four of the drugs
classified in the pharmacopela have
any therapeutic value. All the others
do more harm than good.
1t is not my intention neither to re-
fer to the dream-island of eternal
youth, eternal repOse, bliss and love;
that probably all of you have heard
about from some quaint and old story
teller in the locality where you were
rocked in the cradle of your infancy,
and where grew to be playing, froIick-
ing children always hungry for good
stories. This tale about the island Of
eternal youth is common folklore and
is, | believe, as tll as the human race
itself. heard it told, WHEN l vas a
mere child, from All old, very CID wom-
an, who came to our home now and
then to enjoy few cups of good,
strong coffee, such as the Norwegians
and Turks alone can make. Probably
it is better to tell you little about
this island, in the way the old woman
told it to me. The story has many
variations among the different nation
alIties, but the main point they all
agree upon; those who are fortunate
enough to lind it will always remain
young.
Well, many, many centuries ago, in
the age wien everything created could
speak understandingly with the chill
dren of men, aud people liv, d as long
as they pleased and never suffered
from sickness or physical pain, there
was an old man aud an old woman
who met after a long separation that
was not caused 10y any fault of their
own. They were born Oh the same
day in the same year, and baptized i'll
the same water, and they became
sweethearts from their childhood up.
But something happened. The enmity
of man who desired the young girl,
and the jealousy of woman who de-
sired the young man, gave birth to evil
tales, false accusations and final misun-
derstandlngs between the two; and
.altho they loved each other dearly aud
longed for each others company deep
down in their hearts, they dri ted
apart. The young man Travelled to for
eign lands and won wealth and fame
in many battles; the young girl re-
moved to locality far away from her
childhood home and her age increased;
but her love and her longing for Ler
sweetheart did not decrease. She lived
and piued and dreamed and Ionged for
him to come back, until her hair, that
used to shine like the threads of q
golden web, became silvery gray, and
the roses faded in her cheeks. One
night she wandered under the white