The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-03-03
SELECT STORY.
THE OLD FOLKS PARTY.

club. Especially she furnished the go
for Henry Long, who had lots Of ideas.
but without her, to stir him up, was as
dull as flint without steel.
There were six in the club, and all
were present tonight in JeSaie's parlor-
The evening bad been given to little
music, a little dancing, little card
playing, and a good deal of talking. 1t
WAS near the hour set by the club rule
for the adjournment of it's reunions, and
the party had drawn their chairs tOgeth-
er to consult upon the weekly recurring
question, what should be done at the
mex; meeting by way of special order Of
amusement. The programmes were al
ernately reading, singing, dancing,
whist; varied with evenings of miscel-
laneous sociaIity like that which had
just passed. The members toox turns in
suggesting recreations. Tonight it was
Henry Longs turn, and to him accord
ingly the eyes of the group turned at
Jessie's question.
"Let's have an old folks party" was
his answer.
Considering that all of the club were
yet at ages when they celebrated their
birthdays with the figure printed on the
cake, the suggestion seemed sufficiently
irrelevant.
ain that case" said Frank Hays, Eve
shall have to stay at home"
l. AL FL 1tA
a jannty air, to hom, by tacit consent
all the openings for jokes were left, as he
had taste that way.
"What do You mean, Henry?" inquir-
ed George Townsley, 4 thick-set, sedate
young man, with an intelligent, but ra-
ther phlegmatic, look.
"My idea is this" said Henry, lean
ing back in his chair, with his hands
clasped behind his head, and his long
legs crossed before him. "Let us dress
up to resemble what we expect to look
like fifty years hence, and study up our
demeanor to correspond with what we
expect to be and feel like at that time,
and just call on Mary next Wednesday
evening to talk over old times, and recall
what we can, if anything, of our vanish
ed youth, and the days when we belong
ed to the social club at c."
The others seemed rather puzzled in
spite of the explanation. Jessie sat look
ing at Henry in brown study as she
traced out his meaning.
"You mean a sort of ghost party, i"
said she finally; GHOSTS Of the future, in
stead of ghosts of the past"
That's it exactly" answered he
"Ghosts of the future are the only sort
worth needing. Apparitions Of things
past are very impractical sort of de-
monology, in my opinion, compared with
apparitions of things to come"
"How in the world did such an odd
idea come into your head ?" asked pret-
ty Nellie Tyrrell. whose dancing black
eyes we're the most piqnnnt of interroga-
lightful to be pnnctured, that people
were generally slow to crafty her curl
osity.
81 was beginning a journal this after
noon," said Henry, "and the idea OF
Henry Long, etat. 20, looking over the
leaves, and wondering about the youth
who wrote them so long ago, came up to
my mind"
Henry's suggestion had set them all
thinking, and the vein was so unfamiliar
that they did not at once find much tc
say.
al should think" finally remarked
George, "that such an old folks party
would afford chance for some pretty
careful study, and some rather good act
ing"
Fifty years will make US ali not fal
from seventy. What shall we look lik.
then, wonder ?" musingly asked Mary
Fellows
She was the demurest, dreamiest of tn,
three girls; the most of woman, anc
and r0pose of manner which are necessa
ry to make silence in company graceful
"We may be sure of one thing, any
how, and that is, that we shall not lool
and feel at all as we do now" said Frank
81 suppose" he added, ''if, by gift O
second sight, we conld see tonight, as il
glass, what we shall be at seventy, w
should entirely fail to recognize oursel
yes, and should fall to disputing whicl
was which"
"Yes, and we shall doubtless hav
changed as much in disposition as in ap
pearance," added Henry. "Now, for one
I've no idea what sort of fellow my oil
man will turn out. l don't believe peo
pie can generally tell much better wha
sort of old people will grow out Of then
than what characters their children vii
have. A little better perhaps, but nc
much. Just think how different sets c
faculties and tastes develop and decay
come into prominence and retire into tn
background, as the years pass. A tra
scarcely noticeable in youth tinges th
whole man in age"
"What striking dramatic effects al
lost because the drama of life is spu
out so long instead Of having the enc
brought together" observed George
The spectators lose the force of the cor
trasts because they forget the first part
every role before the latter part is reacl
ed. One fails in consequence to get
realizing sense of the sublime inconsis
encies of every lifetime"
"That difficulty is what we propose,
small way, to remedy next Wednesdi
night" replied Henry.
Mary professed some scruples. It w
so queer, she thought it must be wron
It was like tempting Providence to Ia
for granted iRsues in His hands, al
masquerade with uncreated things il
their own yet unborn selves. But Frar
reminded her that the same objectiC