The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-03-10

II don't know when ! have thought
so much OF thoae days "a since receiv-
ell cards for your golden wedding
Judge" said Nellie to Henry, soon after
How many of those who were present
at your wedding will be present at your
golden wedding do yon suppose?"
mot more than two or three" replied
Henry, "and yet the whole village was
At the wedding"
Thank God :" he said a moment after,
"that our friends scatter before they die.
Otherwise old people like us would do
nothing but attend funerals during the
last half of our lives. Parting is sad, hur
| prefer to part from my friends, while
they are yet alive, that may feel it less
when they die. One mnst manage his
feelings or they will get the better OF
him"
"It is a singular sensation" said
George, "to ontIive ones generation
| One has at times guilty sense of hav-
/ ing deserted his comrades. IL seems ma
tural enough 10 outlive any one con-
| Temporary, but unnatural TO survive
them a. a mass,-a sort of risky thing,
/ fraught with the various vague embar-
easements and underlined perils threaten
I in one who is out of his proper place.
And vet one doesn't want TO die though
convinced he ought TO, and that's the
cowardIy misery of it,"
Yes" said Henry. 81 had that feeling
pretty strongly when attended the last
reunion of our alumni, and found not
one survivor within FIVE classes of me. ]
! was isolated. Death had got INTO my
rear and cut me of. ! felt ashamed and
thoroughly miserable"
Soon, after, tea was served. Frank
vindicated his character as an old bean
by tottering alacrity in serving the Ia
dies, while George and Henry, by virtue
of their more evident in6rmity, sat still
and allowed themselves to be served
One or two declined tea as not agreeing
with them at that hour.
The loquacious herb gave a fresh i'm
pulse to the conversation and the party
fell to talking in broken, interiectory
way of youthful scenes and experiences,
each contributing some reminiscence,
and the others Ginning in and adding
scraps, or perhaps confessing their ina
bility to recall the occurrences.
What refinement of cruelty it Is. u
said Henry at last, that makes ever.
those experiences which were unpleasant
or indifferent when passing, look so
rnockingly beautiful when hopelesly
past"
"Oh, that's not the right way to look
at it, Judge" broke in Grandma Eel
lows, with mild reproof. Just think
rather how dull life would be looking
forward or backward if past or coming
experiences seemed as uninterested as
they mostly are when right at hand"
"Sweet memories are like moonlight
said Jessie, musingly. They make one
melancholy, however pleasing that may
be. / don't see why, any more than why
moonlight is so sad spite of its beauty;
but SO it it."
The fragile tenure of the sense Of per-
sonal identity is illustrated by the ease
and completeness with which actors can
put themselves in the place of the char
acters they assume, so that even their
:z.,:.o.;ro Io,ooano. oorraoDopdo 'to tho
ideal, and their acting becomes nature.
Such was the experience ofthe members
of the club. The occupation of their
mind during the week, with the study OF
their assumed characters, had produced
an impression that had been deepened to
an astonishing degree by the striking ef-
feet Of the accessories of costume and
manner. The long continued effort to
project themselves mentally into the
period of old age was assisted in a start
ling manner by the illusion Of the senses
produced by the decrepit figures, the
<allow and wrinkled faces, and the white
heads Of the group.
| uc OCSOihC
They were perplexed and bewi!dered as
to their identity and in a manner carried
away by the illusion their own efforts
had created. In some of the earlier con-
versation of the evening there had been
occasional .jests and personalities bnt the
talk mad now become entirely serious
IT, ,,o.bos o1d ,,aIopoh,IIv Of tho ~
trospections in which they were indulg-
ing became real All felt that if it was
acting now, it was but the rehearsal Of a
coming reality. ] think some of them
were for little while not clearly con-
scious that it was not already reality,
and that their youth was not for ever
vanished. The sense of age was weigh
ing on them like nightmare. In very
self-pity voices began TO iremble and
bosoms heaved with suppressed sobs.
Mary rose and stepped to the piano
It indicated how fully she had realized
her part, that. as she passed the mirror
no involuntary start testified to surprise
at the aged figure it reflected. She play
ed in a minor key an air to the words Of
Tenny matchless piece of pathos.
"The days that are no more,''
accompanying herself with voice rich
strong, and sweet. By the time she had
finished, the girls we're all crying.
Suddenly Henry sprang to his feet
and, with the strained, uncertain voice
of one waking himself from a nightmare
cried:
"Thank God, thank God, it is only a
DREAM" and tore of the wig, letting the
brown hair fall about his fore head. In
stantly all followed his example, and ir
a moment the transformation was effect
ed Brown, black. and golden hair was
flying free; rosy cheeks were shining
through the powder where handkerchief
had been hastily applied, and the bent
and lettering 6Vures of A moment age