The Nome Daily Nugget

LIVED IN A PRIMITIVE WAY

John Shell died a while back in his cabin up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Tennessee. Considerable publicity resulted, due to the fact that the old man claimed he had attained the age of 121 years. Physicians were interested and held a post-mortem. They agreed that Mr. Shell had undoubtedly lived a half-century beyond the "three score and ten" allotted to humans. They unanimously disagreed, however, with the contention of neighbors that the old man was the father of a seven-year-old boy. "It is simply not being done these days" was their verdict regarding his alleged fatherhood.

From a biological viewpoint Shell's accomplishment in weathering so many summers and winters is interesting. From all others it is of little consequence. The old man lived in obscurity in a primitive way since birth. The simple routine of his childhood life was his habit throughout his remaining years on earth. While his country became mighty, while the world was progressing, during his lifetime, far faster than it had in the last two thousand years, John Shell eked out an existence in his lonely mountain home. He saw few people, probably thought few thoughts, and in obscurity finally died. Life may have bored him but his mind was probably not active enough to experience boredom.

Most normal men of forty have, in reality, lived longer, seen more and been of greater service to the world than the patriarch Shell.

"We live in deeds, not years."
We live in thought, feeling, experience and achievement.
Most of the people you know, still young, have lived incomparably longer than did old John Shell, drowsing through the monotonous years through the suns of summer and the snows of winter-in his hide-away on the Blue Ridge while a busy world passed him by.-Exchange.