The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-09-12
SEvENTY-TWO YEARS IN BED.
Experience of an Englishwoman Dis
appointed in Love.

From London comes the story of wom-
an who had just died at the age of
nlnety-four years after spending seventy
two years in bed This remarkable case
calls for admiration rather than sym
pathy, if we believe in the theory that
VIII power. determination and persist
ence are admirable qualities.
When she was about twenty-one she
became engaged to a young man whose
suit was frowned upon by her father.
The parental ban being placed upon the
marriage, she in her disappointment took
to her bed and remained there to the
end Of her long life, an extraordinary
instance of persistent resentment which
recalls the adage emphasizing the fulfil
ity of biting off ones nose to spite
ones face.
Several sermons of varying application
might be based on this story. No doubt
will power exercised in this way is not
admirable unless it achieves a definite
and reasonable purpose or may be re-
garded as emphasizing continuing
principle or symbolizing a permanent
| grief or emotion That could scarcely be
claimed in any instance of this character.
The length of time which grief or dis
appointment may endure as a compelling
motive in the human mind and logically
produce continued extremity of conduct
varies greatly according to the individual.
But time is an ultimately irresistible agent
in the process OF healing and obliteratior,
and somewhere there is definite limit
to the duration OF any emotion. Even
with an exceptional temperament it cannot
be sustained beyond this limit, without a
renewed, periodical stimulus Of some SOFT
This is in harmony with a physical Law
that applies with equal force to menta!
and emotional matters Energy that is
not renewed is bound in time to cXpend
itself
After the first dozen or fifteen or twenty
! years this Englishwoman must have re
manned in bed through sheer force Of
habit, and i'll all probability she had for
gotten more than half century ago why
she took to her bed in the first place
This curious case illustrates the force o.
habit rather than the power Of viii
1t also shows how easily an origna
motive may be lost sight of IN the in
terest of following a course OF action tina
may have been due to that motive
Lille abounds in instances Of persistent
tutlHty and waste Of action that arr
quite as preposterous az this. As ar
example OF its particular kind. however
: II Is unique, even as token OF femlnIn
perversity. On the masculine side tn
: only fair comparison that may be mad
is IN the case OF the man who makes
solemn vow never to have his hair Gu
until Tom, Dick. on Harry is eecter
President Of the United States The Ia
tional point Of this, OF course, i that til
best thing to do with foolish vows is t
break them, and the sooner the better
But there are many persons who attac
a strange Importance to vows and Ia
great stress upon norscnscai tut!Itie
that they call matters OF principle.
There is one other point of interest an
possible Importance in this strange cas-
Throughout this Englishwoman's scvent,
two years in bed the only illness she la
: was two days at the end Moreover, it
| related that she enjoyed good appetli
IN spite of the lack OF exercise, and Ina
: the complexion of a girl. and that ''si
f took great interest in the affairs OF tt
/ outside world" This might he added
/ the innumerabe recipes TO have perfe
! health, long life. youthful compexip
I and vivid interest in affairs, 90 to bt
S and stay there!-Providence journal