The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-06
Advice to the Old.

| We fnd In the Independent an editorial
essay on Graceful Old Age" 1t Is written
with tho apparently humane intention of
showing rheumatic and decrepit old fellows
| how to conduct themselves so that they
| shall not become intolerable nusances sim
| ply because they are musty and superan-
nuated.
Our religious contemporary tells them that
1t is q hard task to make old age graceful,
but that 1t can be done. In the first place.
the fact Of senility must be accepted without
grumbing. There must be no attempt to
conceal the ravages OF time. The mouldy
ruin must be os it is in reality. Old age
must not try to hide itself under garments OF
a youthful cut but wear only clothes which
serve to advertise its decrepitude. Old people
who try to act asif they were young" says
the Independent, ARE always sure to make
fools Of themselves" They must be old and
nothing else. They must also bear
with patience their aches and palms,
and sit uncomplaininZly toasting their shns
by the tlresido while young people are hav-
ing the fun b. themselves. But, more i'm
portant still, they must be content to be
showed aside as cracked and useless vessels,
"displaced by others in a state of vlgor;"
and they should Groom away the time with
thoughts Of their latter end. The sight OF
a wretched old supernumerary patiently
and quietly waiting for the final hour to call
him hence" while the young people are
dancing with the joy OF existence. ia a spec
tacle upon which the Independent looks with
great delight as "onH OF the most beautiful
that can be presented in this world"
We confess that we do not share the senti-
ment. Such gloomy, mouldy, squeaky,
desccated old creature Is like deaths head
at a feast. lie ought to be IN the tomb upon
which his thoughts are dwelling. for he casts
a dismal shadow on life. He is OF no use,
and his mere antiquity has no value of ITSELF
He is not a graceful object to look upon, for
his very appearance suggests brittleness OF
bones, nabbiness OF muscles, senilty OF in
tellect, and general decay and dilapidation,
all very disagreeable to the imagination.
When u man really feels that he is old, aged
so that the grasshopper becomes burden,
he is past the time when he can be graceful.
The term is incongruous rs applied to him.
Tottering senility cannot be beautiful.
But who are the old whom our religious
friend seeks to admonsh and consUle2
When docs old age come? Where is the line
of separation between youth and age2 At
what period OF his life should n man step
aside and consent to be ofiaced, anticipating
the closing OF the gates OF the tomb upon
him. When shall he instruct his tailor to
fashion for him garments that proclaim to
the world that he has passed into the ranks
OF the superannuated When must he re-
tire to the corner by the tireside to mediate
upon his dissolution while his Juniors are
outside engaged in the struggle OF life2
We should like to be enlightened on these
points, for the physical and intellectual in
dications OF old age do not always appear TO
our observation as accompanying mere IN
crease OF years by the calendar. A man may
exhibit compete dccreptude at twenty, but
who would have called Mr. DAVID DUDLEY
FIELD old at IS, il he had seen tho vigorous
lawyer as Mr.. WHITNEY saw him lately mt
MI GLADsTONE's garden party ut Hawar-
den? The grasshopper is not burden to
him. He does not sit mumblng by the fire.
side, leaving men younger In years to eiTace
his personality. He does not want to be
told how TO be old gracefully. for no
does not propose to be old in any fashion.
He is graceful because he is strong. vigor-
Gus, alert, and OF n supple and well-knt
frame. Neither is he spending his time in
looking down into the tomb. His eyes are
looking straight ahead into life, and the i'm
pudent young editorial essayists would
suffer If they undertook to push him out OF
the way. How is it with BISMARCK Does
the bumptious imperial boy cfrace his stall
wart greatness Is he an example OF old
age upon whom the Independent would
experiment with It's recipes to assure
snnility?
or course there are old fellows such as 1t
describes, moss-grown ruins, dccayed and
barnacioi huk- animated mummies. cracked
and useless vessels; and perhaps they might
very properly boz set up in u corner as q
warning and show. They might a. well
occupy thrmS lv's with thoughts Of the
t IuoaS to"ng gc IN nny"thrr urdi'nti"u-.
Il ,.c Iu,y' n -! # emo - T; to THINK at
AL. Nut the cannot J." era rGal. They q
only b. Did and must j., though IN charity Tor
the fresh aud vigorous they ought not 10
compel attention to their miserable condi-