afternoon they fire, in the pomp of hearse and carriages, decorously conducted to the burying-ground. A celebrated French writer of hygiene has a theory that dying at anything under one hundred years of age is all a mistake; that it is people's own blame, or the blame of their progenitors, if they die earlier. I would allow a handsome discount of ten per cent., and take ninety as a fair thing. The art of living to ninety is, however, I fancy, not very generally understood; or, if understood, is neglected. Lord Brougham was up to it. He went off at the right time every year to Cannes, cheating alike the winter and the grave-digger as long as flesh and blood could do so." This identical thing was used by the world-renowned Ninon D'L Enclos, — the Aspasia of France, — who, at ninety years of age, was as fresh and fair as a girl of seventeen. Aspasia herself used similar preparations, which she procured of the ancient Egyptian priesthood; and this very day the Italian, Cuilna Vilmara, supplies his numerous aristocratic patron^ with the old form of it known as Phloxine; but, as the name implies, that preparation is exclusively made for increasing the stamina of those who lead "fast" lives. I long since discarded that particular article as being better adapted to the latitudes of Salt Lake City and Stamboul than this section of civildom. Preparations having a similar basis and use now are, to my certain knowledge, extensively made and used in France and other parts of Europe ; while all the world knows that something similar, together with her famous "enamelling process," was the means of enabling the notorious " Madame Rachel," of London, to extract three-fifths of a million dollars from the coffers of the rich but homely dames, — ay, and lords too, of merry England, in a little over five years' time. . . . I do not believe, as La Bruyere and Asgill did and taught, that any material element, whether it be protozoic, ozonic, azotic, or of any other dynamic power, name, or nature, will enable a man to bid defiance to death, and live on, as they say Artefius did, for whole centuries beyond the common extreme of human life within the body; but I most certainly do believe, and more than that, I absolutely and from experience know, that means exist which, if properly used, will renew the life we have, and keep us fresh, active, vigorous, and young, for many a long year after every other thing fails us, and our comrades, not using them, grow gray and
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the master passion.
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