The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1920-11-12
EIGHTY-NINE YEARS
OF LIFE SUMMED UP

The experience of eighty mine years
of life should arrest attention no mat
ter how superficial may have been the
observer. When almost century has
passed over the head Of a man trained
to think his viewpoint engages more
than attention, it commands study.
How apt are the young to scott at
their fathers. How pat to the times
for youth to think experience is out
of date, behind the procession, without
very much consideration of where the
procession is headed for. True the
yirility of youth must find expression,
true the passing generation muss ad-
Just itself to conditions as they de-
velop. But surely too, the world
loses much when conclusions formed
as result of ripe experience are set
aside as Of little moment because they
come from the lips Of age. What may
a man not learn in near u century OF
time.
Quite recently the London Times
published an interview with Frederick
Harrison, who in October of this year
reached his eighty-ninth birthday. 1t
was quite the most important bit OF
journalism of the day. 1t was not
news for the moment that would die
with its expression. 1t presented to
the world the conclusions of a great
thinker, a man who has seen and
drawn his store of reasoning from o
world that has made many expert
ments and seen many change during
his lifetime. 1t was the thought of a
man trained to observe, whose intel.
lect is still bright, whose imagination
has grown with the years.
Mr.. Harrison's view of life and the
results of 4 the worlds accomplish
ments, his thought on the effect of our
boosted progress may not be the
thought of others. One may agree ir
part, entirelysi or not at all with his
conclusions, but they arouse respect
they command attention. 1t is wei
to remember that the brain cannot
function efficiently without exercise
any more than can the body. Wha1
does Harrison say of the great i'm
provement he has seen during his life
In the condition of men who work
Hear him:
sa1 am far from denying this vas
material progress. but this social. i'm
provement has not been gained with
out grave evils and cruel loss to goot
things and worthy persons. The tire
mendous upheaval spiritually, moral
ly and intellectually has wrought in
! calculable mischief. The social bet
serment Of labor has been won too of
ten by violence, selfshness and greet
and usually by no cry but that of mori
money and bitter suspicion.
"The world war has changed every
| thing and in the end has ruined mucl
Of good and of promise. The churche,
have not yet, shown any power to re
Estore religion to its true place as TIL
|guide of human life. The boom in ed
Incation has not brought any noble
| literature, any greater art any pure.
drama, any finer manner Seriou
! literature sis being. ehoked .out by tn,
increasing cost of sprinting, the aboli
1 ton of a leisured class able to stud,
! iii peace and to produce from its learn
| ing and by the mad whirl Of moderl
existence
The result Of this chaos in spiritua
| and neral training Id a manifest loos
fening Of the ca1ons of moral life, de
4 fiance Of discipline by the young an,
\ ambitious mockery Of age and all tn