The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-02-24
MANS SEVEN AGES.
A Modern View of the Theme Illustrated
by the Great Dramatist.

Mrs. Jones has a baby" "The
deuce you say" Fact" Girl or
boyP" Boy" Let's hunt up old
Jonesey and make him set 'em up"
So is ushered into the world Baby
Jones, very red and hungry, and very
much troubled with insomnia. The
former grows on him, and in wearing
off the latter Papa Jones loses his hair
and several pounds of flesh and Mann
ma Jones loses some of her good looks.
"PayP" says Papa Jones in astonish-
ment. DO babies pay? Well,I should
say they did" ''PayP" says Nanny
Jones; why, the whole world could
not buy him."
And so Baby Jones becomes Willie
Jones, and with his little primer and
immaculate tie marches proudly to
school. Thereupon the boys ''christen'
his new shoes by splitting on them. and
they soil his white tie rolling him over
in the sand. And Willie Jones cries
and teacher comforts him by letting
him sit on the platform and by calling
his tormentors "bad boys" And they
grin and look ashamed.
But Father Time keeps his scythe a.
swing. and 10! Billy" Jones is in the
high school. Billy the kid'' he is
called now. and he nearly breaks his
mothers heart one day because she
sees him smoking a cigarette and
evidently enjoying it. Billy Jones is
also inclined to partake of the fruit of
his neighbours pear tree, said fruit
being obtained after dark.
Will Jones is different boy a few
years after his graduation from the
high school. Life has become a ques-
ton of neckties and fits on clothes.
He ushers strangers into seats at the
Church of the Dan and Beersheba Pill
grims. He leads the german, and one
day Deacon Potts is panied to see him
coming out of a bucket-shop, where he
has taken flyer on wheat.
William Jones, aged 40,is the cas- hier
of the Hightop National bank. Mr..
Jones is known as one of the best and
brainiest business men. Mrs. Jones
speaks of him as Mr.. Jones or William,
and Deacon Potts takes his advice on
the investment of a few hundred dol
lars he has laid by. They talk of run
ming him for the legislature, and the
EOe'aing Squash has doomed him for
mayor. The little ones call him papa,
and run to meet him at night when he
comes home.
He was telling me the other day how
he used to play ball where the post
Office now stands. He's a Jolly old
fellow, 1 tell you. Told about help
ing to pitch teacher out of the win
dow when he was a boy, about forty or
fifty years ago." Billy is a jolly old
boy. Kept the company in a roar at
his daughters wedding with his queer
stories. They say Bill has laid up quite
little pile in his day. Smooth old
boy is Bill He has accumulated quite
a stock of experience, at any rate, and
is always ready with word of counsel
if you ask his advice.
Seventy-fve years old today is ''Old
Bill Jones" or "Old Billy JONES'" as
his younger friends love to call him.
There is no term of reproach in
familiarity unless it is used by the
thoughtless or inconsiderate. His old
friends have dropped by the wayside,
one by one, and old Bill Jones is the
last leaf on the tree. 1t is we'll ripened
by time and frost, and the first breath
of winter will detach him gently, and
he will fall to his parent earth in sweet
peace. "Old Bill Jonesr He has
done his work WELL and he is ready to
go. He wonders if he will meet the
old boys again and talk over the old
days. His mind is much on his youth.
He loves to recall the old associations.
The old voices are in his ears. He
smiles as he sees the children play.
Hello, colonel. whose grave is this
you are tilling?" William Jones,
sir" what? Old Billy Jones? Well,
well. So he has gone. But he lived
to a good old age. Let's see. '78 years
months the stone says, don't itF
That's doing pretty well in these
times. Jones was a good old fellow.
though. I remember hearing my
father tell how Jones let him have
S., 900 once to tide him over a crisis
and he never took a bit of security
He and father were great friend:
once. How long agoP Oh, that must
have been twenty or twenty-five years
back. Fathers been dead eighteer
years. Well, good luck to him where
ever he is. Goodday. MinraeapoIt
Journal.