Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-09-22
The Old Folks,

In an article on the cold Folks" tn
Tribune says The "old mau on the farm
watches Bob come down in his Sundal
| finery and set of across the fields in the lat
sunset 10 the frolc or 10 take Dolly TO sing
| ing-school and is content TO smoke his pip,
| aud 20 off to bed before the sun is fairl,
| down. When the smart young women il
/ the quiet back streets Of inland towns pu
on their evening muslin and tie pink rib
/ bons in their hair, aud sit down to play
waltzes on the rattling new piano unti
the beaux come, their father aud mother
hurry out Of the parlor, and stiile in tn,
stuify little dining-room until bedtime. II
never occurs to them or TO their daughters
that the best room and the cheerfulness and
light and gayety should not belong to the
young people as a matter Of course. They
shave had their turn is the argument
which settles the whole matter
What was it they had their turn of ?
Love, pleasure, some daily Frightening of
the dull mechanical round Of duty ? Is the
old man dead now to all these Did his
heart harden and grow callous, as his hair
whitened and his eyesight failed Is not
his feeling more tender, the sense OF loneli-
ness more profound, the yearning for COM
panionship stronger with every year that
passes Try him with little sympathy
the experiment is a curious one, and rarer
than you think. Take him into your conf
dence some day, instead Of the dashing
young fellow whom you met last week and
recognized as a congenial soul. Share the
fun with him some time, the Joke, the little
scheme which you think so important. Test
the question whether this queer work-a-day
old gentleman whom you are ashamed to re-
member you know best 10y his oddities and
differences from yourself, although he gave
you life and all that has sustained life and
made you the Admirable Crichton that you
are, has really any human nature akin to
your own, in the finer and sweeter sense
1t really seems as if there might be some
vein Of sympathy between the young man
and the Old, even on such matters as amuse-
ment and loye-making, provided one knew
what witch-hazel rod to use 10 find it. Old
Storrs, who comes back TO the shop every
Monday and leaves Phil to dance and hirt
with the girls, or who sends the young fel-
low to Europe for year, is regarded by that
gallant youth simply as a banker. Indeed,
he talks of him sometimes as "my eX-
cheQuer.' When Phil was a baby, Storrs
began that system Of strict personal economy
and rigid devotion TO business, for which the
younger mau now brands him as of lower
nature than his own. 1t was all done for
Phil. lie had the money laid by for that
journey TO France and Rome which he and
his wife had planned so long it went into a
life insurance for Phil's benefit the old peo-
pie will die without seeing the countries of
which the boy talks so glibly-talks in fact,
to others, for he has the notion that it would
be throwing pearls before a very inferior
sort Of animal to speak of art to them. So
the old man stands in the doorway and looks
in at this man-child he has given to the
world, and feels that he has no part in him.
except one akin to that of his caterer or
tailor. Old Storrs' story is repeated a mil
lion times, in all classes and ranks. When
Bob at the farm goes counting, he knows well
enough that the snug little sum on which he
can marry was saved by that old couple
browsing over the fire. by hard labor and
ceaseless self-denials for long years. But
does he for that try TO make the evening of
their life less dreary
There are a few cases where father and
mother and children maintain that best of
all relations, bon cdmdrdderie to the last, but
only few. In the majority of American
homes the old folks, however tendcrly nour-
ished, are held aloof as companions, barred
from all the daily interests, the jests, the
pleasures which give to life its actual zest.
Hence they turn necessarily to the scenes of
their youth and drearily recount them,
simply because it was then they were recog-
nized as companions, rather than burdens !;
OF, most pathetic of ALL the old man finds in
his graudchild the nearest friend in the lone
some latter days, because the baby has not
yet learned to snub him. In every house
where the old folks yet linger it would be
worth while for the gay girls and young fel-
lows to spare a'litte time from their work
or idleness and, remembering all that they
owe to these queer old men and unfashiona-
bic old women, try TO discover what hopes
and love and fancies they have carried with
them TO the edge Of the grave. They have
but little way to go before they reach the
great darkness ; young, eheery voice and
loving hand would do much to make those
few steps less solitary.