Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-10-26
GIVE THE YOUNG A CHANCE.
THE OLD PEOPLE DON'T APPRE
CIATE HOW THEY ENJOY FUN.
Written for The American.
BY SELENE.
Written for The American. ]

Age quarrelS because spring puts loIlh
leaf,
While winter has a mind that boughs
stay bare
Thus has Robert Browning de-
scribed most cOncisely the war
which is constantly being waged
between the old and the young.
1t is a deplorable state of affairs,
and one which causes no little un-
happiness IN the world. Each
thinks the other to blame. The
old folk pronounce the younger
generation disrespectful because
they dare to differ from them in
their individual opinions. They
take it as a personal aftrOnt that
the young people around them care
for other pleasures than those
found in the chimney corner. They
are inclined TO oppose all schemes
for enjoyment, and seek to Oppress
all youthful merriment, and yet
they grieve that the young seem to
find no pleasure in their society.
Now, without meaning any un-
kind reflection upon our grandpar'
ents, claim that their age has
made them a little selfish. They
have lived through their youth,
and, Judging from their own &C.
counts, enjoyed it-indeed, many
of them were gayer young bucks
than the grandsons of whom they
now so heartily disapprove, and yet
they are unhappy if the younger
set refuses to become old before its
time, and be guided entirely by
them. The trouble lies mainly in
the fact that the opportunity comes
to give practical sympathy to their
children or grandchildren. No,
the ajority of those who have
passed the border of middle age
have no sympathy with the pleas
ures of the young, and while
honor and respect the aged, | be-
leye that the young have rights
as well as they, and until the old
folk will make up their minds to
this fact, the war will 90 on.
Old people imagine that the
young do not care for their society.
This is often their Imagination, al
though there are many who do
shun them, simply because they
feel ill-at-ease, knowing that they
are disapproved Of by the older
heads. The young would seek
their co mpany oltener if they be-
lieyed either would be pleased or
benefited. If their grandparents
would strive to encourage their
confidence, and would talk to them
with the idea of instructing and
entertalng, rather than continually
lecturing the IN upon the follies of
their ways, particularly if they are
ways Of innocence, there would be
a marked difference in the attitude
of the young toward the old. But
the grandparents do not see it in
this way; they think their way the
only one, and go on believing them
selves much abused. They loill
look on the. dark side, although
they have passed through life sue
cessfully. Youth ls hopeful; it
loves pleasure, aud rebels against
everything that opposes it. Life,
upon which it is just entering,
looks bright and allGring enough,
and it is q sad pity to be discOur-
aged and disillusloned by those
who have known its disappoirt-
ments as we'll as its pleasures.
Let the young get all the enjoy
ment out Of the present and the
antIcipations of the future they can.
Trouble and responsibilities will
come soon enough. Youth is short
at best, and, alas ! il comes but
once, and Ssygs.Ieyed of the
legitimate pleasures that Goa N
tended 1t should have, 1t IS robbed
of the best part of life. The mem
ory of their youth is the greatest
pleasure of the old. If, then, they
would bear in mind the meaning OF
the words, "when | was yOung,"
they would be more careful not to
be too hard on those who would
taste the sweets of lite now. If
these old folks, who are dearly
loved all the world oyer, would re-
alize that although they veto all
the schemes for pleasure started by
the Joung people around them,
they seldom, if ever suggest any
enjoyment to take Its place, they
would try to have more patience
with the young. There are some
noble exceptions, Of course, to the
dlscouragers of youthful pleasures.
There are parents whose greatest
happiness is to see their children
having a good time, who are al.
ways devising means and ways for
the pleasure of the young people
about them. Not by the expendl'
ture of money always, but by a
kindly sympathy, a warm hospi'
tallty, and a sweet unsellishness
which gains a loving reverence in
return. | said in the beginning of
this letter that both the old and
the young were to blame for the
war between the ages, but have
30 tar shown only wherein the old
were in fault, because my Observa-
tion has convinced me that they
as rule show less consideration