Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1858-05-12
WHERE DOES OLD AGE BEGIN?
The Cleveland Herald saws:

Left 10 popular vote, hardly any two
would agree as TO the point of time at
which youth deserts US, and old age
mounts guard. That point of time is not
an arbitrary one, but is governed by the
circumstances of each case; some men of
forty FIVE being older than others at six
ty. The line of demarkation. too, is of
tener controlled by the mental condition
than we are apt to suppose. The art
of growing old gracefully depends solely
upon the disposition, and of all arts is the
one which should be the most studied
Life is so short, that, so far as possible,
it should be perpetual youth, and in keep
ing the affections and sYmpathies fresh
and green, much can be done towards
securing such haicyOn days here below.
By breaking down the barriers between
youth and age, and establishing terms
ofinjimacy such as mark the intercourse
OF associates, there can be a system of
barter carried on mutually beneficial
Age will bestow upon youth its cheerful
lessons of wisdom, and in return receive
the v;gor, freshness and heartiness ofthe
early years. Thus one will be strength
ened and the other invigorated. In the
last Ahnntic, the Autocrat of the Break.
fast Table has an article upon the point
of time when old age begins, upon which
the Boston Courier admirably comments
thus:
We cannot quite agree with some ofthe
Autocral's notions, however. He makes
old age begin too soon. In our child
hood we used TO hold such opinion our
selves. We remember the time when
forty seemed a most venerable number
Of years 10 have lived. But it was
childish notion and We have long got rid
Of it. Caesar, in more exhaustiDg eli.
mate, called the Roman yOung I'LL fifty
Forty FIVE; according 10 cur present
views, malured by the reflection of many
years, is quite too early period for the
beginning of hoary Ed. It's mistake
to suppose that less fuel is then consum-
ed than before. On the contrary, we
have found that more is required TO keep
the machinery in motion. The natural
vigor is not yet diminished; the hair is
not yet yray, except in peculiar cases
which have nothing to do with years.
At fifty, even, the aPpetites are as
healthy and vigorous, the imagination
as lively, the dreams of ambition as alb
sorbing. as at thirty. No, no, friend
Autocrat. The earliest period We can
allow you to begin to call a man old, is
sixty; from sixty 10 seventy-fxe he ought
to enjoy hearty age; from that to the
close of his life, he should gently descend
the down-hill, and so pass away. Men
grow old early, because they think they
must. There is 10 necessity, no jusif-
cation for such proceeding. 1t was not
SO in old times, or rather in young times
of the worlds history. We do not speak
Of the age of Methusaleb; that was very
well, but little tedious. But we can
call up from our classical recollections an
example or two. Isociates was mod
crate case. He had a work on his hands
at the age of ninety eight, which his
friends advised him to finish as Something
night Igppen. He finished it, and a
year or two afterwards, when the "dis-
honest victory of Cheronea tried to
''kiIl by report the old man eloquent" 1t
couldn't do it. He starved himself to
death. Gorgias, the sophist, lived to
one hundred and twenty years, and died
with an anthisis upon his lips. But there
is no need of multiplying examples. The
iact is undoubted, that the natural COM
of old age is not at forty
i've, by good deal. Let men but re-
solve TO live out their days-let them di-
vide their lives into reasonable and prop
er stations, instead of rushing at such |
railway speed over the road OF existence
and coming 10 the terminus before their
Journey is half over, and then we shall
see the condition of mortality take an
encouraging upward tendency. Then
We should not be in such terrible hur
y; we should have time enough to &C
all our tasks deliberately and |
thoroughly, and to repose on our laurels, |
without worrying our only chance to
rain q second wreath of them.