The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-10-02
Growing Old Gracefully.

Growing Old Gracefully.
No plan of life is complete which does not
embrace the whole of it. 1t is we'll, therefore,
for the young to anticipate the day when the re
"almond tree shall flourish" and they shall
bend in obeisance to the years that bring them
near the final home. 1t is not out of the way
for the middle-aged to look forward 10, 20 and
80 years and make such provisions as will in
sure peaceful, honorable, and benefcent old
age. Indeed, we all talk about "laying by for
the rainy day" but how often does this incl lude
solely the providing for the mere physical
wants of decrepitude and senility, without any
reference to
"Honor, love, obedience troops OF friends,
And all that should accompany old age"
The statistics of longevity make it quite easy
for each individual to tell about how long he
NAV live. Though nothing is more uncertain
than life, yet the figures show that, in certain
families, the period of years attained by its
members varies but little. A man who lives
according to the laws of health and escapes
accidents is likely to last as long as his father
or his mother did. If he passes the age of the
one who died first, he will probably reach that
of the one who died last, for longevity is now
considered as transmissible inheritance. Ev-
cry man and every woman may calculate, then,
according to the period allotted them, just as
in Arctic latitudes or in the tropics the inhabi-
tants provide for their varying Winter. The
individual who by inheritance has but short
life in this world should regard this fact, and
&c order his programme; the one whose years
may outlast the century is wise in making am
pie provision therefor.
The time to'begin laying up i'll store for Win
ter is certainly in the Spring, and the sugges-
tions we offer are more for the young than for
the old. We do not plant our principal crops
in July and August, but in April and May; in
September and October we expect to reap only
as we have sown, and in November and the
following months We depend for sustenance
upon our storehouses and granaries. Many OF
us look forward to Winter as the gayest and
happiest season of the year. II put up petit
tion annually" says De Quincy, ''for as much
snow, hail, FROST or storm of one kind or an
other as the skies can possibly afford u.s."
Surely, everybody is aware of the divine pleas
ures which attend Winter hreside-candles
at o'clock, warm hearth rugs, tea, fair tea
maker, shutters closed, curtains flowing in
and rain are raging audibly without.
"Yet the least entrance find they none at ali; 49,,
Whence sweeter grows our rest secure in massy hall"
There is little doubt that when the great mas
ter of rhetoric penned that passage, his coal
bin was we'll filled, and he had abundance of
eatables-grain, fruit and vegetable-in bis
cellar and store-room, and the fair tea-maker"
was we'll satisfied with her feecy blankets and
her yoluptuous feather beds, without which
Winter in Northern England is not to be hail
ed with rapture.
In like manner, old age, the winter of life,
may be season of hilarity, of warmth and
brightness and cheer but it must have been
preceded by busy seed time, a vigorous cul-
ture, an ample harvest, and remembering the
last days of Emmanuel Kant, we add, it must
anticipate coming Spring chat shall know no
Autumn. It is only when found in the ways
of righteousness that hoary hairs are crown
of glory and when see in those advanced in
life; not virtue alone, but intelligence, expert
ence, charitableness, wisdom, fine in quality
and abundant in measure we can but exclain,
"Oh, that my last days might be like thesew
Biography is full of instances that should
stimulate and direct our energies in securing
an honorable and happy old age. Humboldt,
after he had passed the allotted three-score and
ten, performed his greatest literary work, and,
as the average age of woman exceeds that of
man, our examples of clever and distinguished
old ladies exceed in number those of the other
sex. At 80 Joanna Baillie was the centre of
circle of which Miss Berry was 80, her sister
Agnes year younger, and Lady Charlotte
Lindsay the same age, all maintaining their
powers to the last learned, charming, witty,
brilliant.
Doubtless there is lfe-sustaining power in
brain-work. Not exercise, but friction; wears
out the human machine, and where the temper
ament is calm and equable, or the lot free from
harassment. the more earnestly and persistently
q man works with his brain, ,sthe longer he will
live, and the more certainly will he resemble
the "One Hoss Shay" in the instantaneousness
of his departure from this world-a "consum-
nation devoutly to be wished"
We, then, who would wear the honors OF ad-
vancing age with grace and dignity must begin
betimes to cultivate those virtues and affections
which bear fruit late in life as we'll as those Of
earlier maturity. Among these we would emu
merate hearty and genuine interest in the
public good, sincere and earnest devotion to
the increase and advancement of intelligence,
of morality, and of charity in our respective
communities, and a. cultivation of whatever
enriches and ennobles daily life, and brings the
character nearer the ideal perfect manhood and
womanhood-Neao York Tribune.
Edward #. Stokes, Esq.