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

nix aDOul growing 30 uLtSIlg away iEOui
each other was too dismal for anything,
and they wouldn't believe ii anyhow.
The old-fashioned notions about eternal
conStancy were ever so much nicer. IL
gave them the cold shivers to hear Hen
rvs ante -nortem dissection of their friend
ship, and that young man WAS finally
forced TO admit that the members of the
club would probably prove exceptions TO
the general rule in such matters. II was
agreed, therefore, that they should sp-
pear to know each other at the old folks
party.
"All you girls must, OF course, be call
ed Mrs instead of Miss" suggested
Frank, Though you will have to keep
your own names, that is unless you pre-
fer to disclose any designs YOU NAV
have npon other peoples" for which
piece of impertinence Nellie, who sat
next him, boxed his ears,-for the read
er must know that these yonng P-OPle
were on a footing of entire familiarity
and long intimacy.
DO you know what time it is?" asked
Mary, who, by virtue of the sweet Eedate-
ness Of her disposition, was rather the
moni,ress of the company.
"It's twelve o'clock, an hour after the
clubs curfew."
"Well." remarked Henry, rousing
from the ft of abstraction in which he
had been pursuing the subject of their
previous discussion, "it was to be ex-
pected we should get little mixed AS to
chronology over such talk as this"
with our watches set fifty years
ahead. there'Il be no danger of overstay
ing our time next Wednesday. any how
added Frank.
Soon the girls presented Themselves in
readiness for out doors. and, in pleas
ant gust of good -byes and parting jests,
the party broke up.
"Good- bye for fifty years." Jessie call
ed after them from the s.oop as the mer-
~ couples walked away in the moon
light.
The following week was one of num-
erons consultations among the girls
Grandmother Fellows's wardrobe was
pretty thoroughly rnmmaged under that
good -natured old lady's snperintendence,
and many were the queer effects of old
garments upon young figures which sur
prised the steady going mirror IN her
quiet chamber.
"I'm afraid can never depend on it
again." said Mrs. Fellows.
She had promised to be at the party.
"She look 80 grave when / frat asked
her," Mary explained to the girls, "that
WAS sorry ] spoke of it. was afraid
<he thought we wanted her only as a sort
Of convenience to help out our pantOm-
ime by the effect Of her white hair. But
in a minute she smiled in her CHEEKY
way, and said, as ifshe saw right through
ME: i suppose, my child, you think be-
ing old sort of misfortune, like being
hunch backed or blind, and are afraid Of
hurting my feelings, but you needn't be.
The good Lord has made it so that at
which ever end of life We are, the other
end looks pretty uninteresting, and if it
won't hurt your feelings TO have some
body in the party who has got through
all the troubles you have yet before you
should be glad to come That was
turning the tables for US pretty neatly.
eh, girls?"
The young ladies would not have had
the old lady guess it for worlds, but
truth compels me to own that all that
week they improved every opportunity
furtively to study Mrs. Fellows's gait
and manner, with view to perfecting
their parts.
Frank and George met a couple OF
times in Henry's room to smoke it over
and settle details, and Henry called on
Jessie to arrange several concerted fea-
lures of the programme, and for some
other reasons for aught know.
As each one studied his or her part
md strove in imagination to conceive
now they would act and feel as old men
md old women. they grew more interest
ID, and more sensible of the mingled
pathos and ahsnrdity of the projects, and
it's decided general effect Of queerness.
they all get themselves to make a study
Of old age in a manner that had never
occurred to them before, and never occur
to most people at all. Never before had
their elderly friends received SO much
attention at their hands.
In the prosecution of these observa.
tions they were impressed with the en-
tire lack of interest generally felt by
people in the habits and manners Of per
sons in other epochs of life than theil
own. In respect of age, as in SO man,
other respects, the world lives on flats
with equally little interest in or compre
: hension of the levels above or below
them. And a surprising thing is tina
! middle age is about as unable to recall
q and realize youth as to anticipate age
e Experience seems 10 go for nothing il
!, this matter.
They thought they noticed, too, tha
u old people are more alike than middle
aged people. There is something of tn
I" same narrowness and similarity in tn
range of their tastes and feelings that
= marked in children. The reason the
e thought to be that the interests Of az
81 have contracted to about the same scop
as those of childhood bofore it has ex
panded into maturity. The skein oflii
u is drawn together to point at the tw
ends and spread out in the middle
If Middle age is the period Of most diver
o' sity, when individuality is most prc
le nounced. The members of the club oil
served with astonishment that, howevs
ts aaectionstely we may regard old person
lie we no more think of becoming like ther
than of becoming negroes. II we cato
xt ourselves observing their senile peculia
at ;,;as it 10 in a nura1y d;sipkaroaAod m