The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1848-02-19
Respect to Old Ace,

NAs hSiOa Nv uiiuSO VI Jul pa
rents and your ancestors, and all per
sons whe are far in the decline Of life.
Old age is eve venerable in the opin.
ion OF the well regulated mind. In an.
clent Sparta there was a law that
young men should rise up at the ap.
Yproach Of an aged fellow citizen; that
they should be silent when he spoke,
and that they should yield TO him the
way on meeting him. Let that which
i 10 not law among ourselves, become a
8 custom for the sake OF decency, and
we shall be the better for it.
rd There is so much moral beauty in
this observance, that ever they who
O terget to practice it, are constrained 10
applaud it in others. An old man at
f. Athens was in search of a seat at the
Olympic games, but the entire rows of
the amphitheatre were occupied. A
number of youths of his W city beck
oned to the old mar to approach, and
with great difficulty he reached the
spot where they sat, then, instead OF &C.
c%ommodating him, they burst into an
insulting laugh. The poor old citizen,
driven from place to place, reached at
length the place where the Spartans
were seated. Faithful to the sacred
custom of their country, they one and
all arose and received the old man a.
mong them. 1t was then that the same
Athenians, who had so disgracefuIIy
Knocked him, struck with lmiration of
their generous rivals, ross on all sides,
and loudly applauded them. Upon
this the old man exclaimed. with tears
starting in his eyes, "Truly the A,he-
mans know what is right; the Sparlans
practice it," I
Alexander, the Macedonian--and
here | would willingly add the title Of
great-during the period of his most
distinguished %triumphs, and in the very
flush of victory, knew how to show
due Difference and respect to the fee.
bleness Of old age. Arrested in his
march by an extraordinary fall Of snow
he had just ordered fires to be kindled,
and had seated himself as near them as {
possible, 10 partake the genial warmth.
He saw among the soldiers u man DO W. {
ed down by time, and trembling with +
the cold. He hurried towards him,and j
those invincible hands which had |
overturned the empire Of Darius, took g
The exhausted wayfarer, and bore him h
his own seat. Parini was accustom-
ID to say, that no man was bad except e
he wretch capable OF despising old age, il
woman, and misfortune. The same h
writer was consistent in this opinion, "
y so exercising the influence he had fl
'ver his disciples, as to render them p
emile and obedient to old age. 1t once e'
sppened that he was greatly incensed in
I a young man who had been accused til
{ some serious fault. In this mood it he
out that he met the culprIt in a lane, st
i'd in the act Of supporting an aged fri re
whom he was also defending from nc
insults Of some %rufians who had at. faI
cked him. Parini ran CRYING out TO tn
s assistance, and throwing his arms m;
'ound the youths neck-Just now ! in
ought you one Of the worst lads in me
e world; but now | have witnessed ira
'ur compassion for old age, | believe wi
capable of many virtues" sci
But how much is old age 10 be res. wi
cted in the persons Of those who bore mel
, cares and anxieties attendant upon tha
r childhood, and those Of u iuve. fail
Of those who assisted to the cha
II OF their ability in framing our char elel
and the disposition of our minds. of {
{ Us view their faults with indulgence. eve
innate with generous feelings the a. So
unit Of trouble we have caused them. had
ELECTION which they lavished upon ton
and the sweet return which the wei
Of our love must yield them the
No! whoever devotes himself with hou
,le zeal to the education of youth, mis-,
neve be adequately rewarded by err Il
mere bread which such a pursuit well
him. Those, embracing both the
aternal and maternal scope, are not pool
mercenary nature. They are CAL by
ted to ennoble the person who hab- tune
les himself to the practice of the ex. wbic
snt qualities which they require. of III
hey accustem him to offices o flove, "Wt
they give him a right to the esteem the q
lave Of others. do.n
ct US endeavor to show a flial def earn
Ice 10 all our superiors, because was
are our superiors. fortu