St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-07-22
WistslIanp.
YOUTH AND AGE.

How Joyous, how ardent, now luii
Of bright anticipations, are the hearts
of the young How different does
life appear to them, looking forward
from the starting, to what it will
when gazing backward from the end
ing. What glowing pictures of
happy future. varied much but glow
ing all, do they hang up in their inner
chambers yea, a very gallery of them
YOU would see, could you have access
there. And into those galleries the
youthful artists delight to retire and
dream at leisure dreams to be broken
by the waking up, by-and-by--but the
dreamers know not that yet.
Of course the light-hearted and hope
full painters make themselves the he
roes and heroines of these successive
scenes, surrounding themselves by
their dearest friends, and the objects
most beloved. And as they gaze upon
the creations Of their fancy, they very
naturally become to them realities,
and they only wait for time to prove
them such.
Aha that Time, with hard hand
and hooking air, throws dozen those
gorgeous designs, and all the beauti-
full scenes where Beauty, Youth, Friend
ship, and Love were represented, are
crushed beneath his heavy tread. 1t
seems to me that this is the greatest
difference between youth and age in
youth we really expect that our de-
sircs and fancics will be gratified in
some future, while in age we knop
there is nothing on earth which cam
satisfy them. 1t matters not much
whether the ardent pursuer Of riches,
pleasure, love, or fame, has seen the
favorite object fly, like an ignis-fatuus,
ever before him, ever GLIDING him, and
has grown old while vainly striving
for its possession or whether he has
at length secured it, and found it, like
the apples Of Sodom, only ashes in his
grasp the result is the same--dis.
appointment. Indeed, the chances Of
happiness are in favor Of the former,
as the sooner is attained what seems
the only good, the earlier comes the
knowledge Of its unsatisfying nature
There is not heart but has its mo.
ments of longing, yearning for some.
thing better, nobler, holier than it
knows now. In youth, we expected
to find it here, as we grew older, rich
err, wiser But was that yearning
filed with all the wisdom or posses
sions which age could bring? We
have only learned, what we were al
ways being told, (but it seemed non
sense to us them that every earthly
good has a hollowness, a bitterness,
thorn concealed and we must look
beyond this life for the real good which
will answer our desires. In the re-
gions Of immortality these thirstings
of the soul may be satisfied--nevcr
elsewhere.
So now, having learned this great
lesson, we can take the good there is
around us thankfully, enjoying all
things with reason and moderation,
without expecting unalloyed pleasure,
calmly waiting for perfect good in that
other life beyond And we look with
joy upon the little ones who have not
begun to dream, but are really happy
in thor childish pleasures while a
tender pity mingles with our interest,
as We regard their growing years.
For, though we smile at their earnest
ness and self-coniidence as they go
forth to the sowing, we I~ow that the
reaping will nat satisfy their ardent
hearts. They, too, must learn the bit
ter lesson which has been our life
study, and we would fain spare them
the labor and the pang But it may
not be. 1t is lesson taught only by
Experience. Fond parents, loving
brothers and sisters, tender friends,
can do something, but it is her teach.
ing alone which viii! prove the lesson
There are some, doubtless, who are
not aspiring, but, conscious of well
performing the limited duties of the |
part they bear in life, live happily,
contentedly. But even to these, as
time goes on, sprinkling their locks
with silver, planting wrinkles on their
brows, and unnerving the steady arm,
must come moments of longing for a
lasting treasure, which does not fade
or die.
Youth and age are not SO wide
apart. The years pass very swiftly
on, and those who were the young but
lately, find themselves the old before
they are aware, 80 busy are they all |
the while
Every youth carries about a very
city of air-castles, poised high above
him, where he revels and builds at
leisure foundationless turrets and
gardens. But as the bitter lessons Of
Experience increase, the builder learns
to look higher, higher, even to the
pearly gates Of the New Jerusalem,
whose streets are golden-paved. Hap
py for him if he seeks to place his
treasure there, so that his joyous spirit,
when released from striving, may en-
ter inf0 /ifc w