The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-06-24
ILLUSIONS OF OLD AGE.
BY BISHOP CLARK, OF RHODE ISLAND.

1t is a melancholy thing for man to
outlive himself. and to keep on breath
| in- and talking and walking about among
his fellows after his mental powers are
| gone. The more sturdy and vigorous he
was liz his prime the sadaer is the sight
when he sinks into his uota9e. There is
something very impressive in the ruins
Of a splendid palace, and in the wreck of
mighty SHIP, aud in the breaking down
| Of a strong man. The wooden shanty
may fall, the trajl skin go to pieces on
| the rocks, tho .nai. OF infelio. parts pass
| into second childhood without awaken
| ing in us any special emotion. but when
Ole has stood among his companions as
a giant begins Ito die at the top" and
the mouth that spoke such mighty words
begins to drivel, and the reason that
| Shone so clear begins to be clouded and
he who raied must be lei about like a
| child, it is sadder TO look upon than
death.
| This, however, is not the subject of
! which intended to write. have a few
| words to say in regard to those illusions
which are i'll q measure common 10 old
are, and are shared by those who have
retained in good degree their mental as
well rs their physical powers. Here and
| there We may find an exception. There
are people who never seem 10 crow old.
| They are as buoyant at eighty as they
were at thirty: as clcar-Sighted and free
| from illusions; just as ready to enter upon
new prospects and entertain new ideas.
They keep on working an! thinking, and
reading, and talking TO the very end, and
then fall with all their arln0r ON. John
| q. Adams was 4 man of this sort, aud on
the other side of the water Lord Chan.
cellor i-yndhurst and Lord BrougEam
| kee: the light burning brightly until the
| last incl of the candie I'd. consumed.
| But this is not the general rule With
most people, after certain term of years
! is accomplished. the springs of the mind
becomes weakened. ard all the faculties
move slugglsniy.
Old people are apt to imagine that
everything in the world is retrngradng:
| chat there are comparatively few men of
real talent coming npon the stage: that
| the race Of statesmen l,as about died out {:
thai the preachers have fallen of very
much in their sermons: that the general
! standard Of character is lower than it
was. and the tonr If religious feeling less
| iervenr. and true: that social vices Of all
! sorts are more rampant than ever: that
men ard women are more eNtravagant
and fond OF display. ihat the style Of
manners rs well as noitals has dcterior-
ated; that there is not the same reverence
for wisdom and authority. and more par
tieularly general falling of in the re-
| spect paid TO the aged.
| Old i.eoi.;e ere also apt to complain of
| the Innovations which they see going on
around them; the new way OF doing
things: the new ideas that are preached
the new habits of thought. the manifold
contrivauces and inventions. which in
! thci. Tie", Indicate Il restless, discon-
tented spirit that is EGt satisfied to walk
in the old paths, simply because they are
Old. rhcy iarget that there can be no
improvement without innovation, and
they also forget how many new things
they have accepted with gladness in the
course c. .h?e@ir lives.
Some old people are not willing to be
regarded as old, and they 1latter them
selves with the illusion that "they do not
show their age, and that there is moth
| ing in their appearance to Indicate that
! they have more than filled up their three
score years and ten. They tell you that
they are conscious uf &c decay either of
body or mind. that they can do as much
work as ever and endure as much ia
! tiguc. There is no harm in trying to
! keel: Young as long as we can, if we do
no; resort To ai,tli.tai Id Coy keeping
up the appearance Of youth: and it is
never in good taste to remind Il person
VI ft'' hiN'' jeans mo 10 stibSi bti
petual youth. that the crows feet under
his eyes, and the scattered locks over his
ears. and the little bends in his back, and
the little hitch in his step are unmistaka-
BE s;%ns, 1T least of approaching age.
Another common illusion with aged
people is the impression that whatever
the tables of mortality may indicate as
to The limited number of years remain
ing TO ihela on earth, there is likely to
be an exception in their individual case.
am inclined to think that few old peo-
PIE actually feel IN if the end oi life We're
very near. They will not unfrequently
build stately houses, which they cannot
expect to inhahit, or enter upon great
business sclv mes of which they cannot
expect to reap ihe iruit unless their lives
are protractcd beyond the four-score
! years Allotted to man.
Another allusion against which old
people ought to be on their guard, is the
notion that they are neglected by those
about them, and regarded rather as an
circumference. As have once before re-