The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-05-06
A MEDITATION ON OLD AGE.
BY C. H R.

Ny friend Jack L. lie visiting me. Jack is
about forty, unmarried, rich, and OF an easy
disposition. An old. white-haired neighbor
was passing the house as we sat looking
Through the window. who is that9" said
Jack. zone of my neighbors, nearly eighty
years old, and without family" answered.
and / looked at Jack.
"As you think viii be some day, eh?" he
said.
"It looks possible" replied.
WELL" said be, ''old age is beautiful. As
to having no family with it, should think
il would beall the more beautiful"
"Better not risk it, Jack, and you may
change your mind about the beautiful part,
under the most favorable conditions" said.
"Old age is beautiful" is an old saying.
No one knows who first said it, or under what
circumstances. In any event, it is nonsense.
There is nothing in old age that has any re-
lstlon to the beautiful. "Old age is cheer.
less" comes nearer the truth, and in most
CAGES it is entirely true.
Zee the river rise after the rains. Sse toe
wafer highest in mid stream. See the drift
floating TO the shores and lodging here and
there to be left. See the lightest floating il
mid.stream and sailing on downward toward
the sea. Here you have old age on the
stream of time in times of prosperity.
When the stream begins to fall 1t is lowest
in the middle. Some drift that has lodged
floats off to the center, is wster soaked, aud
sinks. The refuse CT light stuffs goes down
ward with the current, much mixed and
disturbed. Here you have life in times of
adversely.
At flood tide the young and theughtless,
the prosperous and the hopeful, 90 floating
\ - -
OF the old who have fioated as drift to the
shore. Tbs old see them go by, unable to
follow or take part, and must look for ward
to realities and not to romance. When the
tide begins to fall the old ara sometimes car
ned TO mid-streem by force of the ou;hoat-
ing and struggling young who have been
stranded, and often 20 down to the bottom,
or lodge in the drifts to go ont no more.
As we grow old day by day Imagination
and romance fade and realities are to be
dealt with. The road grows rougher
and is more obetructed, while our
ability and inclination to over.
come and remove the distractions grow
less. New generations grow up and strangers
come. Those we knew move away or go to
their long home one by one, and we become
almost strangers in the place Where We ones
knew every body and have always lived.
The young have nothing in common With
Qs. TIE social circles become fewer aud
narrower. No matter what our
bone may be, the world slowly
glides away from us-the world we knew
and We are as strangers, though amid the
natural scenery that we saw as children.
If we have children of our own who are
settled in life, and between Us there has
been harmony and love, where We are well
come and feel at home. the days may be
sombIe, but they are not cbeerless. There
is nothing beautiful In seeing the hair
whiten, the wrinkles gather, tbs old friends
one by one go past in the hearse. and
think our turn will soon come, and we viii
be as soon forgotten as if we had not been
known. We still feel young. We do not
! fet old. When we see old people VI do not
feel as If We belonged with them. AS long
as We are able TO move about with reasOna-
/ bic activity We can not realize that Others
/ look at and speak of US as bsing old. And yet
| 1t. is thrust upon us very often in a Thousand
sliehts-slights to Us though not intended IS
sucb-and as the door slowly closes that
cuts Us OFT from the world OF life about US
and leaves US to our own thoughts while We
wait for the grim messenger, where is the
| beautiful in it 70 rs or TO those abOu us2
| And ii we are alone, with or without
wealth-and the great mass are without
what is there in It that is even cbeerfUl2
/ Though We fill the store house as we go
| aleng with pleasant memories born OF love
and good deeds- IS we look back those merli-
| cries bring with them thrills of pain. AS
we 1uOk IOTWdfu We Cuu SEQ Ouif uUpc uhulty
| visible in the far away.
But If we live old age must come, with or
without in6rmity. As | write another old
| neigh Dor comes in. We call her grandma.
She il over sighty-six and is quite feeble.
Jack is very kind, and she is pleased with
his Ieverential attention. She does not hear
readily. be talks OF various things Her
memory is good, and for a little while she
/ nights up with some of the interest she felt
in former years; but she soon goes away
back 10 her home to think over the short
Islk, the little sunshine she saw, ths cheer
| fulDess of JscE. and what a deS .lstion will
come TO him when he reaches her age, and
| how be will wonder be could ever feel that
/ 'old ege is beautiful"
/ The Hiost we can do for ourselves is as we
/ pass along to see that we make no uucanny
! skeletons TO fall in behind Us and follow as
! to gibber al Us rs we look back in old age for
| pleasant thoughts of scenes long gone"
and to try to make ss much sunshine for tue
old as we eau. wherever we meet them-oe
| they grand or humble, rich or poor With
pleasant memories behind and hope before
we shall beat preserve spring.time il the
heart and have the most cheer for old age.