The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-03-17
SAMUEL J. KlKwooD.
GROWING OLD, AND COMING Down.

SAMUEL J. KIKwOOD.
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 30 very old. Let Us respect
the cliDging u youth; there seems to be
much that is good in it. 1t tis an unconcious
to the depth asd universally of the convic-
ton that, rs 6me goes on, We are leaving
behind US the more guileless, innocent, and
impressionable season of life. We feel lit
tie sympathy, indeed, for the silly old wo-
man who Affects the airs and graces of a
girl Of seventeen who makes her daughters
attire themselves like children who renders
herself ridiculous in low dresses and cap
less head when her head is half bald and her
shoulders like sn uncooked plucked fowl.
That il downright offensive and rev olting.-
And to see such an individual surrounded BY
a circle of young lads to whom she is talking
in buoyant and flirting manner, is as mel
ancholy an exhibition of human folly as can
anywhere be seen. But it is quite differ.
cot 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 q certain great event which is to come;
here is the earliest touch OF chill hand
which must prevail at leGgth. Here is man
ifested decay we have begun to die. And
no worthy human being will pretend that
this is other than very solemn thought
And We look back as well as forward now
short time since we were little ch ldren,
and kind hands smothered down the locks
now growing scanty and gray! You cannot
recognise in the glass, when you see the
careworn, anxious face, the smooth features
OF tho careless child. You feel you must
come down you are young no more! Yet
you know what shifts people seek in this re-
spect to avoid coming down. Wepostpone
year after year, the point at which people
cease to be young. We are pleased when
we hear people talking of men above thirty
as young men. Once, indeed, Sir Robert
Peel spoke of Lord Derby at forty five as
man s'in the puoyancy of youth" Many
men of fve-and- forty would feel secret
elation at the words thus employed. The
present writer wants good deal yet of being
half way; yet be remembers how much
obliged he felt to Mr.. Dickens for describ-
ing Tom Pinch, in Chuzzlewit," lin an ad-
vertisement to be put in the 7imes,) as a
respectable young man of thirty 6ve." You
remember how Sir Bulwer Lytton, as he has
himself grown older, has made the heroes of
bis novels grow older pari pdssr. Many
years ago bic romantic heroes wers lads of
twenty and now they are always sentimen
tai men Of fifty. And in all this We can
trace natural conviction of the intellect,
rs well as the natural disinclination in any
respect to come down. For youth, with all
i ts folly, is by common consent regarded as
better thing thSn age, with all it's expert.
enc>' and thus to grow old is regarded as
coming down. And there is something ve-
~ toue hing, something to be respected and
sympatt,ized with BY oil people in the vigor
Of life, in the fashion in which men who
have cone down so for rs to admit that
they have grown old, refuse ia give up by
admitting that they are past their work,
and indeed per sist in maintaining, nfter City
wears in the church or thirty on the bench,
that they are as strong as ever. Let US
reverence the old man. Let US help him in
his determination not to give up. Let Us
tighten his burden when we can do so, and
then give hin credit for bearing all himself.
If there be one respect in which it is es-
pecially interesting and respectable when .
man refuses to give up at any price, and in
deed unwilling to come down, it 10 in the
regard of useful, honest lsbors in the SER
vice of God and man. Sometimes the un-
willingness to come down in amy degree is
amusing, and almost provoking. lremem-
Der once, coming down q long fight of steps
from railway station, | saw venerable
dignitary of the church, who bad served it
for more than sixty years, coming down
with difficulty, and clinging to the railing.
Now, what ought to have done was, to
remain 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.
think see the Indignation of the good
mans look. "I assure you," he replied,
81 am quite as able to walk down the steps
alone MS you are ?" .
Apart from the more digni6ed regrets
which accompany the coming down Of grow
ing old. they are petty morti6cations which
vain people will feel as they are obliged to
come down in their views as to their person.
al appearances. As mans hair falls Of,
as be grows unwieldly stout, as be comes ia
blow like a porpoise in ascending bill, AZ
his voice cracks when be tries to sing, he il
obliged step by step to come down. heart.
lily despite the contemplate creature who
refuses to come down when nature bids him
who dyes bis hair and his moustache, rouge,
bis face, wears stays, and pads out his chest
Yet more Disgusting is the mde-up OLD
reprobate, when padded. rouged and dyed
as already said, hs mingles in circle o.
fast young men, and disgusts even them b,
the foul puriency Of bis talk. Kick him on
muscular Christian! Tell him what 20,
think of him, and see how the despicsbl
wretch will COVER! But while thus refusing
to come gracefully down as to physical a.
pects with advancing time 10 thorough,
abominsble, let il be remembered that eveI
in this matter the judicieus man will NO
give up, though hs will eons down. Den'
grow Slovenly and careless ~ you grow old
Be scrupulously neat and tidy in dress. ]
is . pleasant sight-pleasant like the triml
raked fields Of autumn, the specifies, trim
white.necko clothed, well-dressed, old man
Article: Concerning Giving Up and Con,
ing Dorn.
/ ~"Oh, map said Juvenile to an 81
derly dame, "there goes pa with yoke q
bulls hitched to bob sled"
.sHash my child p said the mother, ssit