THE ART OF PROLONGING LIFE. 7 6 7 



pation of some kind is absolutely necessary ; it is a great mistake 

 to suppose that idleness is conducive to longevity. It is at all 

 times better to wear out than to rust out, and the latter process is 

 apt to be speedily accomplished. Every one must have met with 

 individuals who, while fully occupied till sixty or even seventy 

 years of age, remained hale and strong, but aged with marvelous 

 rapidity after relinquishing work, a change in their mental condi- 

 tion becoming especially prominent. There is an obvious lesson to 

 be learned from such instances, but certain qualifications are neces- 

 sary in order to apply it properly. With regard to mental activity, 

 there is abundant evidence that the more the intellectual facul- 

 ties are exercised the greater the probability of their lasting. 

 They often become stronger after the vital force has passed its 

 culminating point ; and this retention of mental power is the true 

 compensation for the decline in bodily strength. Did space per- 

 mit, many illustrations could be adduced to show that the power 

 of the mind can be preserved almost unimpaired to the most 

 advanced age. Even memory, the failure of which is sometimes 

 regarded as a necessary concomitant of old age, is not infrequently 

 preserved almost up to the end of life. All persons of middle age 

 should take special pains to keep the faculties and energies of the 

 mind in a vigorous condition ; they should not simply drift on in 

 a hap-hazard fashion, but should seek and find pleasure in the 

 attainment of definite objects. Even if the mind has not been 

 especially cultivated, or received any decided bent, there is at 

 the present day no lack of subjects on which it can be agreeably 

 and profitably exercised. Many sciences which, twenty or thirty 

 years ago, were accessible only to the few, and wore at best a 

 somewhat uninviting garb, have been rendered not merely intel- 

 ligible but even attractive to the many ; and in the domain of 

 general literature the difficulty of making a choice among the 

 host of allurements is the only ground for complaint. To increase 

 the taste for these and kindred subjects is worth a considerable 

 effort, if such be necessary ; but the appetite will generally come 

 with the eating. The possession of some reasonable hobby which 

 can be cultivated indoors is a great advantage in old age, and 

 there are many pursuits of this character besides those connected 

 with literature and science. Talleyrand laid great stress on a 

 knowledge of whist as indispensable to a happy old age, and 

 doubtless to many old people that particular game affords not 

 only recreation but a pleasant exercise to the mind. It is, how- 

 ever, an unworthy substitute for higher objects, and should be 

 regarded only as an amusement and not as an occupation. 



Whatever be the sphere of mental activity, no kind of strain 

 must be put upon the mind by a person who has reached sixty- 

 five or seventy years. The feeling that mental power is less than 



