Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-10-30
A Week with the Aged.

ny rB0F. y. a. LAWRENCE.
Monday afternoon attended The funeral Of
a member Of my church who had reached his
seyonty-soyenth year. From the funeral SER
vices | went to the couch Of sick woman who
had come to her nnety.frst year, and leaving
her, called upon five others all over lourscorc
aud four years, and all on the same street, the
same side of the street. and within a stone'
throw Of each other. My appetite for the SO.
cicty Of old people was quckeucd by what |
had tasted, aud | said, Why should | stop
here? Are there no other old people in town,
and should | not seek out some Of them p
The result Of my week with the aged was,
that visited twenty who were over seventy.
six. Eighteen Of these were over eighty, seven
over cighty-6ye aud five had passed ninety.
The sum Of their ages was 1928 years, aud
the average fraction over So. OF the eiga-
teen who had numbered eighty years or more
twelve were connected with some branch o.
the Christian church. OF the remaining six
three gave evidence Of that hope in Jcsu
which holds like an anchor, and Of that peace
which is like river. The week which wa
commenced with a funeral, closed with a death
or rather translation.
Some Of the pccuiarities Of these old PEG
pie interested me, and their iufrmlties in
structed and admonshed me ! shall be a
old as they, and perhaps more indrm, if liv
as long One old man who had strong low
of companionshp, though he was quite deaf
and entirely blind said to me, "The worl'
isn't as good as it was when ! was young
Ministers ant as good don't know bu
they preach as well, but they don't visit a
much" And yet his pastor had made hin
twenty-six calls during the preceding twely
months The trouble was with his memory
That was not as good as it was when he va
young. Aud his excellent wife, ninety-two
thought the people were not as good as the.
used to be. " can remember when a man
word was as good as his bond, but it isn't s.
now" She did not remember that every mau'
word then was not as good as his bond, no
think that there are some men whose word
just as good as any mans was then.
The two brothers were both very hard o
hearing One, was not sure caught any thin
of what | said, except the word Jesus. Bot
were self.distrustful, yet resting on the rock
The younger, eighty-three, said, "lf coulc
only know my sins are forgiven, | should b.
ready to die But there pointing to his eide
brother, on the other side Of the room, "ther'
is man perfectly prepared | never knew
him to do dishonest thing. lie has grea
many times injured himself lest he nigh
wrong somebody else" Passing across to IL
elder, eighty and trying to communicat
with him by sigus, Oh how | love tina
man, pointing to the younger "Nobody ca
tell what he has been to me- He is goo
man, if there is one in this world" Then
felt chow good and how pleasant it j. 70
brothers to dwell together in unity
a woman in her ninetieth year, who wa
entirely blind, but who could hear very well
when my name was mentioned, said she wa
very glad to see me. Her memory was clea
and retentiye Of occurrences in her childhoo
and earlier womanhood.
These scenes gave me deeper sense Of tn
preciousness Of the Christian hope for tn
aged, and Of the privilege Of bearing to ther
a flower, a smile, word Of sympathy in tn
Masters name They also impressed III
anew with the discomiorts Of old age wlthor
religion. Such people are seldom at east
Something seems wrong in everything.
! screw is loose, or joint weak, or sprln
broken almost everywhere.
= A patriarchal gentleman in his eghliet
year, and bachelor, thought we had tC
many schools in town Didn't have but oil
. when was boy, and only one schoolhous
except the townhouse.' The difficulty ",
! with the children, for whom he had no likin
l. There were too many Of them. They "a
. every generation grows wiser. faint so. The
II amt nearly as wise as they used to be-
3 " Do you go to church anywhere ?"
II " No. | stay at home Sundays, aud read
= = " Were your parents church going people
"a No"
Some of this class dislike ministers o.
: of them frankly said to me, II don't belle
% ministers are any better than other men"
u I" | don't either, than some men" | reptile
II 81 don't think they are as good"
o " Nor |, some Of them
= Another said, 81 do not believe in pc
:, sona God, as you do"
"a am sorry, for you miss the love of a 90,
= friend and great Father which you need he
and hereafter"
al don't know about the future, wheth
anybody exists then or not"
+" | do, but if there is only chance that
', may be as the Bible teaches, it is wise to
on the safe side"
81 don't know about that"
y " Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or t
leopard his spots? Then may yo also do GO
who are accustomed to do eyl."-ladepe
d dHt