The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1882-05-27
ILLUSIONS OF OLD AGE.
nv nrsnor cLARK. or RHODE ISLAND.

Il Is a melancholy thing for a man to outlive
himself. and to keep on breathing. and talking.
and walking about among his fellows after his
mental powers are gone. The more sturdy aud
vigorous he was in his prime the sadder 10 the
sight when he sinks into his dotage. There is
something very impressive in the ruins Of splen-
did palace. and in the wreck Of n mighty ship,
and in the breaking down of a strong man. The
wooden shan;y may fall the irai skiG 60 20 pieces
the rocks. the man of inferior parts pass into
second childhood without awakening 10 Us any
special emotion. but when who has stood among
his companions as giant begins "to die at the
top" and the ,soath ,hs, spoke such uiighty words
begins 10 dfivel. and the that shone clear
begins 60 be ciouded. and he who once ruled must
be led abou; like child, Il Il sadder 20 look upon
than death.
This. however. l. not the subject of which in
tended 20 write. ! have few words TO say In
regard o. those illusions which are in \ measure
common to old age. and are shared By those who
have retained In good degree their mental As
well as their physical powers. Here and there
may find an exception. There are people who
10 grow old. They as buoyant at
eighty A. they we're At thirty; Rs elear-sighted
and free from Illusions just as ready 90 enter
upon new projects and entertain new ideas. They
keep working and thinking. aud reading and
talking 90 the very end and then fall with all their
arnor on. John Quincy Adams was n man Of this
sort. and the other side Of the water Lord
the light burning brightly until the last inch Of
the candle was consumed. Bu, this Is not the
general rule. With mast people. after q certain
term of years IL accomplished. the sprinr of the
mind becomes weakened. and all the faculties
move slug..hly.
Old people are ap; 90 imagine that everything
in the world is rr;rograling that there are com
para,ivcly few men of real talent coming upon the
stage: that the race Of statesmen has about died
out; that the preachers have fallen % very much
| in their sermons tha; the general standard Of
character l. lower than IL was and the tone Of 70
leious feeling less fervent and true; that sor.al
vices Of all sorts more rampant than ever: that
men aud women more exiravagant and fond
of display: that the style Of manners no we'll rs
maTfals has detcrioratcd: that there IL not the
reverence for wisdom and authority. and more
particularly general falling of in the respect
paid TO the aged.
Old people are also apt o. complain of the in
novations which they going on around them
the way Of doing things. the new ideas that
are preached. the new habits of thought. the man
fold eontrivanees and inventions. which. IN their
view. indicate a restless. dscontented spirit that
l. not satisfied 10 walk in the old paths. simply
because they are old. They forget that there can
be no improvement without innoya alton. and they
also forget how many new things they have ac-
eepted with gladness in the course Of their lives.
Some old people are not willing 60 be regarded
old. and they Aatter themselves with the illusion
that "they do not show their age" and that there
IL nothing in their appearance 20 indicate that they
have more than fled up their three. score years
aud ten. They tell yoI that they are conscious Of
no decay either of body or mind that they can do
much work ever. and endure much fatigue.
There Is no harm in trying TO keep young as long
- can, II We do not resort O. artificial aids for
keeping up the appearance of youth and 10 10
never In good tasteto remind person Of advanced
years, uho aspires after perpetual youth. that the
erowsfeet under his and the scattered locks.
his ears. and the little bend In his back. and
the little hitch in bis step are unmistakable signs
| at least, Of approaching age.
Another common illusion with aged people 10
the impression that whatever the tables Of mortal.
ity may indicate as 20 the probable limited number
Of years remaining 20 them earth there 10 like
ly TO be an exception In their individual case.
am inclined 90 think that few old people actually
feel u the end of life very near. They will
| not unfreqently build stately houses. which they
cannot expect 20 inhabt. or enter upon great bus.
iness schemes Of which they cannot expect 10 reap
the fruit unless their lives protracted beyond
the four. r.seore years allotted 10 man.
Another aiiusiou against which old people ought
60 be on their guard. IL the notion that they are
neglected by those about them. and rather
a. an eneumbrance. As I have once before re-
marked. u We viii persist In living ve must be
ready 60 take the consequences. and II 10 not 10 be
supposed that society will be a. grateful and
onesEial 20 the young as that % their contempt.
raries. The old and the young move In different
spheres ; the former I'VE very much N the past,
the latter almost entirely In the present aud the
future. Aged people should cultivate the art Of
gracefully and eheerfuly stepping aside. In order
10 leave the way open for those who. In the order
| of nature. called % take their place and do
their work. II is painful 10 see one trying hard
to keep important and responsible position long
after Il evident that his usefulness 10 over. The
lawyer must retire when his clients leave him. and
the Judge must retire from the bench when he
reaches a certain age. although he may be as con-
pe,ent a. ever 10 do his work. Il would be well
u there we're some way In which our aged clergy
men could be retired honorably and gracefully
and without the prospect of starvation staring
them In the face. To turn them out 10 grase In
the highway, a. same hard d-hearted persons treat
their old horses is rather hard and yet this s the
| doom 20 which many subjected.
Aged people who. IN their day. have nlled
large space IN the public ere. sometimes tempt
ed To write and pabiish their autobiography. u
l. . very perilous thing for old man 10 do. and
he may be led 20 print some things uhieh In his
| prime he would not. for bis right hand. have
/ given 20 the world. His memory Of the past. On
Soms eases. may be very detective. while In ether
connections u 70 frightfully accurate Some things
may be honestly narrated which never eeearred
while some other things may Be- Published which
! ought 10 have been buried In obiivion.