Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1890-05-22
THE YOUNG AND OLD.
Relation the Latter Should Bear
to the Former.
Not Old Heads on Young shoulders hut
Young Heads on Old shoulders That
the Youthful May Enjoy the SYM
patty of Their Elders

And we don't want them. auntie.r
Yes, il was certainly a somewhat pert
and fippant reply; and we CANAL of
us who belong u the elder portion Of
humanity-quite appreciate the indig-
nation and disgust Of the cool old lady
who thus heard the wisdom and ex-
pcrience Of her accumulated years de
rided and set at naught We can't have
old heads on young shoulders. and it
viii always be more or less Of a trial
and 4 torment to those who have passed
through the school of experience and
learned life's lessons. 70 hear the fool
ish sayings. and watch the iajudiciOus.
If not dangerous and f~ool-hardy. actions
of those who have not the slightest idea
of the troubles and difficulties in which
they may be ca~reiessly involving them
selves And. again. il il not usually
the young and careless who must suffer
.loRe. rs a general thing. il Is the
elders who. when the mischief Is done,
must be called in 70 bear the burden Of
the catastrophe and set matters straight.
probably az the cost of no small amount
OF labor and self-sacriace on their part
In this world, whore there Is so much
trouble, where so much that has been
well and carefully planned works i'll. it
j. not astonishing that those who know
It best should b. apprehensive and prone
20 look out Tor calamity even where
there Is a fair prospect OF success Il is
this tendency, rather than any doubt Of
their wisdom or distrust of their iudr-
ment. that makes the young so impa-
tient OF the constant warnings and sug-
gestiOns that come from the lips OF those
who have them in charge. They have
observed 4 disposition 70 look for light
ming bolts cut Of a clear sky. 70 watch
for the cloud that has not yet appeared
above the horizon. to anticipate the
calamity that has as vet given no hint
Of it, approach. This it is which gives
them sue an inclination to laugh at
what they call the .croakingv of their
elders. 20 look upon reasonable precau-
tons as superiuous. and. finally, TO in
wife disaster BY a carelessness that shall
oounterbalance the .f~ussinessr they find
so annoying. Each. in short. goes to an
extreme. the older ones with a careful
ness accumulated. perhaps. by disease
and intrmities. the younger ones with
an Indifference to probabilities. n scorn
OF cause and effect. that entails distress
and suffering upon themselves and all
connected with them.
No, u Eighty little maid is right
thus far. we do not want old heads
upon young shoulders, if by having
them we must have with them the
doubt. depression. distrust with which
so many who have borne the burden
and the heat Of the day look out upon
earth. with its fair seeming and all the
many activities and enterprises that in
vIte youthful energy and enthusiasm.
The trail OF the serpent may be oyer all.
the canker-wOrm may Turk in the heart
of many a brilliant rose, but certainly
nothing could be more deplOrable than
N induce youth to fix its mind upon
these facts SuppOsing for the moment
that youth could be made far-sighted.
discriminating, prone to weigh all
things in the balance, and by a nicety
OF calculation decide Just what would
be for its own interest and keep its path
freest from all possible thorns. should
we not lose more than we should gain9
We should certainly succeed in making
Of it something far and widely different
from what the Creator Of men intended:
He who sends every infant into the
world tender. helpless. INEXPERIENCED.
incapable Of supplying any of its own
wants. surrounded by a universe full OF
marvelS. every one Of which he must
make acquaintance with for himself
But II We do nOt want and may o
have the wisdom OF 2 in the mind Of
youth, how would it be il we could
have somewhat younger heads upon
these older shoulders Do not these
elders frequently make the mistake of
forgetting that they themselves were
once young, and how they felt during
that halcyon period? Are not the
jarring and the diseord we frequently
hear going on between young and old.
the differences of opinion, the impa-
thence with which each regards the
others tastes and inclinations, owing
In many instances 20 the fact tina age
has lost its sympathy with youth. that
II no longer remembers what its fancies
and impulses were so long ago. how the
world looked before it had to be gazed
upon with spectacles, and what a de
lightful. inspiring, promising place il
was? Young people are so silly" we
hear the dignIied scholar. the stately
matron, say We need our Eighty lit
tie maid near by 70 inquire: pray,
monsieur and madame, were you born
quite grown up, and did you always
take an interest in p~rotoplasm and the
doings OF Sorosis?-
There is a very bright little story told
OF = boy who, when lis father was cor
recting him for some departure from
the wise and prudent course. inquired:
But papa, did you never do so when
you we're a boy?' OH yes. my son.
but then saw the folly Of it, .'WelI
papa. | wan to see the folly Of it. too.
That is where the difficulty lies. We