Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-06-27
MISCELLANEOUS READING.
ICON NuNICATEb.

CONNUNICATEb.
CHEERFUL OLD AGE.-BY TARPLEY STARR.
We don't want old people to be uScfni,
have, in fact reached sort Of stand point
III existence. where they lay down their
packs and take breath There is little more
that they can do physically and actually;
still there is work for them-f they would
not have the tax Of entertainment fall hea
Willy on those around. As the artistic woman
who sees her charms fading will give double
diligence 10 preserve her beauty, and keep
time at bay 10y her unexpected little strata
gems, so will they be careful to look after
the ''inner man" No humoring and ca
ressing OF PET foibles and weaknesses, but
general supervision, lest these little defects
become first traitors Time is a shrewd old
manruverer, and it takes about all the tactics
we can master 10 out general HIM lie
deals with our tempers. rs he does with our
faces-(if we suffer his encroachments)
bringing the disagreeable feature out into
harsh prefecture with his cruel chisel. For
tunatcIy for us the old house goes not to de-
cay, all at once: stone by stone, stone by
stone falls out. that We may have time TO
patch and plaster and mend thereby keep
ing these poor tenements habitable for our
selves, and respectable in the eyes of our
fellows Every little infrmity, from the
stoop in the shoulders to the crook in the
temper, is to be manfully resisted. The
minor defects which were once tolerated be
cause our other resources purchased indem-
,h Il ho, nd ha
put aside, ms unbecoming. When old age
will take this much trouble 10 make itself
agreeable, it can never fail Of that sym
pathy and reverence, which are its ust dues.
Dear good, bright old people. Are they
not to US ite's winter evenings? The quiet
work-innOcent mirth-genial fre-g lowing
amp-The fuel and oil all ready for use
For use Alas poor humanity when is lts
work ever done? When the sun sets, We
must light our own fires; and work, work.
work"--on, into the deep midnight-On till
the curfew rings-on till the master comes 4!
But what absorbent and disinfectent in
poor natures decay, like Cheerfulness p
hot frolicsOme vivacity; not long metre words
set to short metre tunes; not new wine in old
bottles; new patches on old clothes; the gay
green of spring in the cool November Not
at all We want the deep toned music,
which even whilst it runs a lighter treble.
still keeps its bass of holy feeling and grave
thought-and when it stops, it must be in a
broken bar, suggesting keynote at higher
pitch We want the old garment so per
fumed with holy life, that times moth will
not like the taste. We want the old wine in
old bottles-the bright bead on its face, the
genial pure draught underneath-a foretaste
Of the good wine" in my Fathers king
dom"
We want the gay green" mellowed into
the rich gorgeous tints of autumn; where
the sun still shines, and the birds still sing;
but where the shadows fall heavily, and a
mufiled sound in the branches, as Of the old
year marching to its tomb! And winter
comes next; what then? Let old age lay
upon the heart, as snoy upon the field -
the bright genial snow over which child
hood and youth sport, in innocent hilarity,
yet which keeps the earth beneath all warm
and fresh. and ready for its vernal equinox.
Clarke County, Va. June ~, 1859.