Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-03-20
GNoreester Daily spp.
From Fraser's Magazine.
GROWING OLD, AND COMING DOWN.

".
Most people find it painful to come down in
the matter of growing old Most men and
women cling, as long as may be, to the belief
that they are still quite young, or at least not
so very old. Let us respect this blinging to
youth there seems to be much that is good in
It, 1t Is an unconscious testimony to the
depth and universally of the conviction that as
time goes on we are leaving behind us the
more gulleless, innocent, and impressionabe
season of our life. We feel little sympathy.
indeed, for the silly old woman who affects tile
airs and graces of girl of seventeen who
makes her daughters attire themselves like
children, when they are quite grown up, and
who renders herself ridiculous in low dresses
and capless head when her head is half bald
and her shoulders like an uncooked plucked
fowl That is downright offensive and revolt
ing. And to see such an individual surround
ed by circle of young lads to whom she is
talking IN buoyant and flirting manner, is as
melancholy an exhibition of human folly as
san anywhere be seen. But it is quite a diff.
-erent thing when man or woman, thoughtful
earnest, and pious, sits down and muses. at the
sight of the first gray hairs. Here is the
slight shadow, we think, of a certain great
event which is to come here is the earliest
touch of a chill baud which must prevail at
length Here is manifest decay we have
begun to die. Here is manifest decay we
have begun to die. And we look back as
wei as forward; how short time since we
were little children, and kind hands smoothed
down the locks now growing scanty and gray.
You cannot recognize in the glass, when You
see the -careworn, anxious face, the smooth
features OF the careless child. You feel you
must come down; you are young no more
Yet you know by what shifts people seek in
this respect to avoid coming down. We post
pone year after year the point at which people
cease to be young. We are pleased when we
nnd people talking of men above thirty as
young men. Once indeed, Sir Robert Peel
spoke OF Lord Derby at forty five as a man in
1.-THE buoyancy of youth" Many men of five
and-torty would feel a secret elation as they
read the words thus employed. The present
writer wants good deal yel of being halfway;
yet he remembers how much obliged he felt to
Mr.. Dickens for describing Tom Pinch, in
Martin Chuzzlewit," lin an advertisement to
be put III the TimeS) as "a respectable young
man, aged thirty-five."
You remen Der how Sir Buwer Lytton, as
he has himself grown older. has made the he
roes OF his novels grow older pdri paSsu.
Many years ago his romantic heroes were lads
OF twenty now they are always sentimental
men of fifty. And in all this we can trace a
natural conviction OF the intellect, as well as
the natural Discrimination i'll any respect to
come down. For youth, with all its folly, is
by common consent regarded as better thing
than age, with all its experience; and thus to
grow old is regarded as coming down And
there is something very touching, something
to be respected and sympathized with by all
people In the vgOr of life, in the fashion in
which men who have come down so far as to
admit that they have grown old, refuse to give
up by admitting that they are past their work,
and Indeed persist in maintaining, after fifty
he
that they are as strong as ever. Let us rever-
ence the old man. Let us help him in his de-
termination not to give up. Let us Tighten his
burden when we can do so, and then give him
credit for bearing it all himself Ii there be
one respect in which it is especially interesting
and respectable when man refuses to give up
at any price, and indeed is most unwilling TO
come down. it is in the regard of useful hon
est labor i'll the service of God and man.
Sometimes the unwilingness to come down in
any degree is amusing, and almost provoking.
L remember once, coming down a long flight
OF steps from railway station, | saw vener-
able dignitary of the church, who had served
it for more than sixty years, coming down
with difficulty, and clinglng 70 the railiug.
Now, what fought to have done was to re-
main out Of his view, and to see he got safely
down without making him aware that | was
watching him. But hastily went up to him
and begged him to take my arm, as the stair
was so slippery and steep. l think l see the
indignation OF the good mans look. 81 assure
you, he replied, "my friend, | am quite as
able to walk down the steps alone you are!'
Apart from the more dignified regrets which
accompany the coming down of growing old,
there are petty notifications which vain peo-
pie feel when they are obliged to come down
in their views as to their personal appearance.
AS a mans hair falls off, as he grows unwied-
hn IN ilyo