The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-09-20

OLD AGE IN THE UNITED STATES
The drollest thing is, that when the
American lady comes to be about fifty
years old, she gets over her leanness
and plainness, and suddenly becomes
young again. The population of Broad
way seems to be composed (apart from
the lniddle-aged ladies', who are us n.
rule heart-rending in appearance) of
pretty young ladies' Of sixteen, and
pretty young ladies of sixty. No, sir,
L have not tripped in my speech; L re-
peat, young ladies of sixty. A iuVe-
nile grandmother is anything but II rlr-
tty here's gushing young things of three
score are not uncommon; and have
ventured to cast more than one humbly
tender glance at a damsel of seventy.
You may seldom meet with an old man
IN society. The men work, fret, smoke,
speculate, chew, or drink themselves to
death at a comparatively enrly age.
Nor are old men very popular in the
States they are passed by as "pIayed
out" have heard more than one law
glVer and statesman called "wOrn out
cusS." 1t was an unfailing topic orsar-
casm against the Hon. Edward Everett
that he was so very old; and George
Bancroft, the illustrious historian ofthe
United StAtes-a writer who combines
the accuracy of an Alison with the re-
search of PinnOck, the copiousness of
Grimshaw with the vivncity of Peter
Pnrley-as usually spoken of by the ir-
reHerent young Ipen of Gotham as ''old
Fuss and Feathers" The truth is TINT
American men have little reverence for
age among their own sex. Strong, nc
tive, energetic, INSCRIPTIONS, noisy,
pushing men, they admire and almost
deity; but age generally brings with ii
wisdom, experience, calmnesS. iutp-
lnpnt Ilpnrpt.ntiOn nf x1-ild ont Ia ,,,,;,r,S,
dislike to rash innovation. These DUAL.
tiles are not to the taste of Young Amer
len. They are not go-nhead. They do
not go far towards making up the beau
ideal of transatlantic humanity "a
real live man, sir, -l' Ihnve heard of
venerable partners in mercantile firms
being superseded and pushed off the
stools, tis obsolete and incompetent, by
their juniors; and an American-mind,
an American, not an EnGliSh-friend
once told me TINT he Snw over n store
front in Jersey City this announcement.
"Tompkins and Father" Therein Law
mine of philosophy. Tompkins the
was n "cuss, and of ''nO account,'' and
Every small potatoes.' He was per-
lnitted, just for charity's sake, to con-
unue in the business, mind the shop.
dust the counter, and see the shutters
put up by the black porter; but the real
~ AA4A IL lAAG GOIlC9EIl WIS Young
Tompkins, who, despising and dispars
aging his antiGuated progenitor, was
making rapid strides, no doubt, to-
wards running for Congress, taking the
presidency of petroleum company,
and putting himself in nomination for
the highest office in the state-say the
secretnryship of Communipaw, or Tie
ighthouse-keepership ut Cape Knob.
An old American gentleman, when YOU
do meet him, which is but rarely. is
generally most delightful companion
very benignant, very tolerant, very
strong friend to England. The old
American lady, whom, fortunately, YOU
very often meet, is the most charming.
person it is possible to conceive. See
her in Broadway; handsomely, but
warmly and sensibly clad; smiling and
nodding and joking; with her wrinkieti
but rosy. little face; in guise something
between n waxen peach and n we'll
preserved pippin; with the incest set of
artificial teeth that Doctor Zachary
could carve from rhinoceros' tusk !:
and her own hair disposed in SNOWY
silvery lunches on either side of her
temples.-GeOrge augustus ,SdIG.