The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-05-12
Two Dollars a Year.
An Old Man of So Years AdvertiSes for a
Wife OF the same Age.

When an old gentleman dixie David
Craig, of Americas, Ky, aged
LNANNI years. not only desires to be
married, but actually advertises for an
old lady of about his own age, we are at
loss to decide whether to him should be
awarded the palm OF courage or the
credit of good sense. He is a fool TO
marry at his time Of life at all. He is
wise in not marrying a young chit
When the learned John Daurat in ex-
IRENE age espoused girl who, according
TO Menage, was only nineteen, the old
humorist made joke of the matter by
saying that 'being to die by a sword. il
Is better to perish by bright than a
rusty one. The Romans at one time
had law which prohibited man and
woman from marrying, he over 80 years
old, and she over 50; but after trial il
was repealed. Perhaps the experience
OF the world shows that a very old man
is no more likely TO make foolish mar
IIage than very young one. lis n
perllous business at any rate, and there
fore We are not surprised that an old
French Calvinist should print a book
which advises nobody to get married
without long previous prayer for light
and guidance. But let US return to our
David.
The octogenarian Craig informs us
that "he is MS spry as girl just sixteen
years old Y that "there is life about
him." that she can ride as gay a horse
as any young man; that he "does not
use a cane" and that he desires no old
lady ''who is not rs gay and spry as he
is. We must admit that we do not
exactly relish this untimely freshness
Anacreon might not have been choked
by the grapestone if he had not been so
anxious to prove by his voracity that he
still possessed the appetite of youth
and we always thought that the lecture /
which took down Sir John Fallstah's |
was well enough deserved. Mr.. |
Craig, who initiated not without glory !
in the war of 1912, receives pension |
from the United States and as one of /
the salaried fathers of the Republic we
think he should maintain an exemplary /
gravity. In fact, we deem him little |
for in one place he tells us \
that he deserves a premium for being so /
very old, while in another he insists that /
he Is as young as anybody. In the /
present state OF the treasury il seems .
hardly patriotic for a man so extremely /
and as we may say preter-naturally able
bodied, to depend upon it for support.
At eighty-six it is quite possible TO be
vigorous. There must be
touch of feebleness in the longevity /
which secures our vcneration. We can
not imagine the hermit of the poets
riding fast horses, dancing breakdowns,
and doing muscular wonders with his
legs and arms. The gray-beard should .
creep and not skip.
Should MIR. Craig be fortunate enough \
to find Mrs. David of eighty-six, it is no
great presumption to predict that he will /
be saved from "pale jealousy" and the
"heart-sicll thoughts" Of which it is
prolific Even if anility had the mind
to CAD about, it has not the power and |
David may be sure that the registering |
gallants Of Americas, Ky, will not seek \
his lady in the bower to which her old /
bones will confne her, since we may take /
it for granted that the whole male popu-
lation of that hamlet isn't Of the ancient \
sort. 1t is only on the canvas of Baltha-
sar Denner that wrinkles and rheum are !
costly. But enough Of our
random speculation. 1t will be time |
enough to continue it when we hear
that Mr.. David Craigs advertisement
has been answered, aud that the two
have been made one hun
dred and seventy-two