The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-03-03
VOLUME 3.

still more puzzled, "there are half
dozen of each one of US, or a dozen if
you please, one in fact for each epoch OF
life, and each slightly or almost wholly
different from the others. Each one Of
these epochs is foreign and inconceiva-
BILE to the others, as ourselves at seventy
now are to us. It's as hard to suppose
Ourselves old "a to imagine swapping
identities with another. And when We
get old il will be just a. hard to realize
that we we're ever young So that the
different periods OF life are to all intents
and purposes different persons, and the
first person of grammar ought to be used
only with the present tense. What We
were, or shall be, or do, belongs strictly
to the third person."
"You would make sad work of gram
mar with that notion" said Jessie smil-
ing.
:Grammar needs mending just there,
replied Henry. "The three persons of
grammar are really not enongh. A
fourth is needed to distinguish the ego
of the past and future from the present
ego, which is the only true one"
"Oh. you're getting altogether too
deep for me" said Jessie. Come, girls.
what in the world are we going to get TO
wear next Wednesday?"
"Sure enough" cried they with one
accord, while the musing look in their
eyes gave place to a vivacious and merry
expression.
"Mv mother isn't near as old as we're
going to be. Her things won't do" said
Nellie.
"Nor mine" echoed Jessie; 'but per-
haps Mary's grandmother will let us
have some of her things"
ain that case" suggested Frank, "il
will be only civil to invite her to the
par
"To be sure, why not?" agreed Jessie.
1T is to be an 'old folks party, and her
presence will give a reality to the thing. P"
81 don't believe she'll come" said
George. "You see being old is dead
earnest to her, and she won't see the
joke"
But Mary said she would ask her
anyway, and so that was settled.
"My father is much too large in the
waist for his clothes to be of any service
TO me-" said George lugubriously.
But Frank reminded him that thi-
was hint "a to his get-up, and that h.
must stuff with pillows that the proverb
might be fulfilled, "like father like son. y
And then they were rather taken
a5ack by Henry's obvious suggestion
that there was no telling what the fash
ion in dress would be in A. D. 1925,
"even it," he added, ''the scientists leave
us any A. D. by that time" though
Frank remarked here that A. D. would
answer just as we'll as Anno Ddrwinis, il
worst came to worst But it was decided
that there was no use trying after proph-
etical accuracy in dress, since it was out
of the question, and even if attainable
would not suggest age 10 their own
minds as would the elderly weeds which
they were accustomed to see.
It's rather odd, isn't it," said Jessie
| gravely, that it didn't occur TO anybody
that in all probability not over one OF
two of us at most will be alive fifty year.
hence"
Let's draw lots for the two victims
and the rest fus will appear as ghosts,
suggested Frank, grimiy.
"Poor two," sighed Nellie. "I'm sor.
ry for them. How lonely they will be
Pm glad haven't got very good con-
stitution."
But Henry remarked that Jessie
might have gone further and said jnst as
truly that none of them would survive
fifty years, or even ten.
eve may, some of us, escape the pans
of dying as long as that" said he, "bu
that is but trifle, and not a neceasar ry
incident of death. The'essence of NOR
tality is change, and we shall be chang
ed. Ten wears will see US very differen
persons. What though an old dOtarG
calling himself Henry Long is stump
ing around fifty wears hence, what i
that to me? ! shall have been dead I
half century by that time"
"The old gentleman you speak so light
ly of will probably think more tenderl,
Of you than you do of him" said Jessie
al don't believe it," answered Henry
am fact, if we were entirely true to ma
ture next Wednesday, it would spoil tn
fun. for we probably should not. if actin
ally of the age we pretend, think of OIL
youth once year, much less meet t
talk it over"
"Oh, don't think So" protested Mel
lie. "Pm sure all the story books an
poetry say that old folks are much give
to reviewing their youth in a penslve re
gretful sort of way"
"That's all very pretty. but it's a
CANNON in my opinion" responde
Henry. "The poets are young peopl
who know nothing of how old folks fee
and argue only from their theory of tn
romantic fitness of things. / believe thu
= reminiscence takes up very small pa
of old persona time. It would fnrnis
them littlesexcitement for they have 10
the feelings by which their memori'
would have to be interpreted to becon
vivid. Remembering is dull busine
at best. l notice that most persons, e
en- of eventful lives, prefer a good nov
to the pleasures Of recollection. IT
really easier to sympathIze with the pc
pie in a novel or drama than with oil
past selves. We lose great source
recreation just because we can't recall Il
past more wildly"
A allow shockingly Henry contradic
?. tonight" was the only reply Nell
r deigned to this long speech.
=, "What shall we call each other ne
Wednesdavi0 asked Mary "Ry our FL