Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-08-17
The Feeling of Growing Old.

There is a mystery in the feeling
of growing old. Try as we may, We
cannot quite define the strange sensi-
bility that slowly creeps over tho
heart like distant forerunror of the
last icy coldness. "Do you feel your
age 2" we ask of some octogcnarian,
making our self solicilude in pathetic
style OF politeness. But the answer
seldom throws any light on the won
der we are vainly striving to master.
Then we endeavor to probe our own
emotions; and here, too, we are baf-
fed. Why should Christmas come
around so soong Why should years
crowd so fast on each oiberg And
even spacc--familiar spacc--why
should it contract itself so marvellous.
ly? The old farm, the encircling
hills, the remote mouniain-tops, the
very heavens-nono are as large as
they once were, aud yet for it all no
reason
The first shock of surprise with
which advancing life announces itself
is a very definite experience. 1t is a
deop.cut notch, aud the bark Of iie's
tree never grows over it, And then
sets in the sophistry Of devices, Of all
dextrous concels, Of perlinacious
logic, to persuade ourselves that we
arc not quite so old as the calendar
tcsliies. A spice Of foolery gives n
flavor to the effort. Animal spirits
arc zealously encouraged, young ways
put on, fashionable attire assumed.
light manners cultivated, boys and
girls patronizcd, small print resisted,
big type eschowed, extra lights re-
fused, so as to disguise the fatal symp-
toms. Bnt grand child comes, then
anothor, and yet another, and so the
sharp reality moves on rs apace, the
thin vencering rubs Oh, aud the con-
clusion is plumply met that are get
ting old. And thero is touch of
pathos in il, something that viyities
one to ones self, something that emp
ties the memory very suddenly into
present consciousness, something that
nmszcs us by the immense contents
of the small word Life.
Not that the struggle is all over
| The resistance to the thought of age
is not ended, il is only intermittcd
and back il comes on fine bracing
days, on festal occasions, and when
enterprises OF pith and moment chal-
lenge our pluck. II we chance with
elderly individuals, men that are very
bald, women that are very fat, tho
weakness gets uppermost again, and
asserts itself with charming buoyan-
CIV, vcrging on little deceit But at
last the true nature begins TO recover
its lost ground. The gathering time
Of the harvest is at hand soon the
beautiful fruits are ours and then ap.
pear one by one the sweet compensa-
lions for what has been taken away
from us. Slowly, too, new insight
is granted to our inward being, aud
this touches the heart with strange
tenderness. A deep quictness per
vadcs us. We do not need our ma
lignant passions to quicken our intel
lccts, for We can be strong without
anger, firm without obslinacy, dccid-
ed without dogmatism, and earnest
without ianaticism. Ii our senses
have decaycd, has not the soul gained
thereby The outer world has mar
rowed how small is its horizon, and
how few friends stand in its fading
light 1t is all very sad, bat tue
world within has gloriously enlarged !
its horizon was widenod into a shin
ing space, and its zenith is far higher,
aud its lofty sky burns with serene
lustre.