The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-04-20
The Oheerfulness Of Old Age,

You don't feel the horizon pressing
you too closely. You have space in
which to stretch yourself A little will
do if your mind be healthy, Nor Is the
lookout, in fact, so much shorter. All
you have had of life Is so much saved
out of the fire. You never were sure Of
it till you have lived it. You never
could count certainly on u day ahead
at any time, however early in your life.
And you are in no worse condition now.
The possible time before you is much
less, doubtless. But you hope for the
best You look for the best. There is
better, doubtless. But you know what
mean. The consent Of wise and good
folk, free from morbid and transient
moods, has concluded that long life is a
blessing. IL cannot be the greatest or
il would not be denied 50 many. 1t
may be a kindly permitted illusion that
it is blessing at all; but 1t is well the
illusion is permitted if it be one, And
as for averages, we disregard all such
calculations in our own case. You fan
cy yourself 10 be such an exceptional
being that you look (most looi) for cX-
ceptional length of life, too have re-
marked this decidedly in men who, in
fact, are wiser than men in general.
Besides that, the short lookout contents;
that we can enjoy the golden and brown
Autumn leaves without intruding
thoughts of the bleak, wet Winter
boughs; besides the fact, too, that
transcicnce sometimes adds singular
enjoyment as well as beauty which is all
its own; the healthy mind lives in
pervading atmosphere rather than Il
defined conviction that the end is not
so near at all, and cheerfully calculates
on a good long time yet. A little while
since, talking with dear friend who
has been lifted high, my friend Brown
said something implying that they both
must soon bid the loved work and the
beautiful surroundings farewell. "Not
at all, - said the energetic and heaIthful
pillar of the State. II look forward,
please God, for another twenty years"
And Brown was corrected For even
after twenty years the pillar of theStatc
would only be seventy four; and where
fore count on an abridgement Of honor
and usefulness? Brown was six months
the younger; but by being overworked
and worried ne had got into the way OF
mistily thinking that about three or
four years would see the last of him.
And indeed, there are those who early
in September feel as though the Winter
were upon them; aud who at 80 talked
Of themselves AS old. But this is wrong
as well as depressing. Some cannot
help it. John Foster was a great man,
but his ways of thinking on most mat
tiers were essentially morbid. Never
more SO than in the grieyous fashion in
which he anticipated needlessly soon
the Winter which he especially dreaded,
Il have seen fearful sight to-day he
once said: Il have seen u buttercup."
He could not enjoy the present green
ness and warmth for intrusive fears OF
the coming cold and desoation. He
was wrong, far wrong. You don't
blame him; you pity him. But, body
and mind, he never knew brisk health.
There are a great many thoughts that
it is quite tit that we resoluteIy put
away. A mi>chieyious mortal. desiring
70 overcloud the blink OF sunshine in
which others are rejoicing, does not
need to tell them anything that is not
true. You remember Mr.. Croaker and
his frequent sentiment: Heaven send
we all be as well this day six months?'
Then a shadow would fall upon the
faces of middle-aged folk; as when 8
meddliug IDIOT asks them what they are
to make Of their boys. Those things
are thought Of quite often enough, be
sure, without the idiots inopportune
Interference. -fiusc,'S -Nagd=iAe.