Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-05-07

| AeU IOTh-l
To grow old gracefully, n must COM
| mence when very young; 1t is like dane
ing, swimming, or speaking foreign
tongues-a thing not to be perfectly &C
! CURED suddenly, or il begun too late.
1 an constantly amused with a sort OF
sorrowful amusement at hearing the
! very Just criticisms which many young
people pass upon the disaRreeaole ola
| persons whom they encounter; while
| their criticisms are we'll founded, they
| do not realize that they are every hour
| OF the day forming and solidifying hab-
its which shall eventually render them
"disagreeable old people,"
The pretty young girl, all bloom ana
| dimples, who relates in a musical voice
the misdemeanors Of her school mates,
and criticises their conduct, dress and
appearance, is called, at worst, nothing
more than discriminating" or very
| particular" l have heard such girls
praised highly by blind parents or rela-
| tives for their comments upon their
| companions. Yet this same habit In
dulged in by some withered grand
mother, whose face is hard and whose
voice Is harsh, wins universal dlsap-
prevail.
Grandma is so hypercritical. so fault
| finding, so censorious; she has no sym
patty with young people!" cries the
blooming granddaughter, who, ten min
utes later, will tear 10 tatters the CHAR
acter or costume of some companion
with her sarcastic comments. She does
| dot realize that every time she INDUCES
this habit she takes n more step
toward that hideous goal of dlsgreeaole
old age.
The extremely well behaved young
girl, who has never been tempted and
who cannot understand how another
could commit a folly, is certain to be-
come the most censorious OF old mi
II she does not develop into a cruel,
malicious tongued scandalmonger IT
will be a wonder. Nothing is so easy as
the descent from unchsrltableness to
malice. As a young girl she prides her
self upon her love Of morality and good
behavior: all her friends speak OF her as
''such a strict girl" in her ideas. NO
one would think OF appealing to her for
sympathy or advice in an hour OF temp
tation, but she is respected for her high
| ideals IL feared for her severity. As an
old woman she is simply held in abhor-
renee, and her name becomes a neigh
borhood synonym for cruel Judgment.
Criticism OF u frail fellow beings is
a vice which takes possession OF us Ike
q stimulant or a drug, once we enconr-
G it.. 1t may begin in our high moral
standard and our hatred Of sin, but
once It becomes q habit, we indulge 1t
| for the pleasure it gives US. 1t is q bad
habit in the young; In the old II Is In
tolerable: for nothing renders old age
interesting or lovable say sympathy Tor
the young and charity for the erring.
II is strange that we all do not grow
charitable as we grow old; as we learn
more and more OF our own frailties and
more and more Of the temptations and
Illusions of life we ought to become
more and more tender and plying. One
can be sympathetic without encourage
ing vice and w%rongdoing, or cloaking
sin. 49,.
The girl with no object or aim in life
save to "have a good time" and out
shine her companions must speed for
ward to a miserable old age; Cor after q
certain time we become unsatisfied
with, or groteSque in, a pursuit OF
gayety, and II we have formed no other
tastes or learned no other occupation
there is a wretched outlook for US.
The witty girl is one who makes rapid
strides toward ENJOYABLE old age-l
mean the girl whose bright arrows OF
wit are almost always tipped with the
poison Of sarcasm. American society
teens with such girls. A quick brain,
a ready tongue, a fondness for repartee
sends the laugbter-making retort
| straight TO it's mark, no matter What
sting may follow it. So long as the pos
SCISSOR OF this dangerous gift is young and
charming she is a social favorite. Even
those who are stung oy her shafts OF
wit forgive her freely because OF her
youth and charm, and only oyer-seDsi-
tive people accuse her OF malice. The
great majority join in the general laugh,
| and her bright bon mOts are repeated
and tossed about until they become
nei0hborhood proverbs. They create
an occasional enemy, and they cause a
great many little hurts. But the witty
girl is so pleased with her own wit that
she does not stop 10 think about that
She cultivates her gift, and seeks for
| opportunities In which to exercise IL.
Whenever she meets a new person, h
studies him or her with the direct pur-
pose Of finding out something to be
| witty over. II she possesses the pow
ers of mlmicking she is liable to indulge
in It behind her dearest friends back
out OF sheer love OF making peo-
ple laugh. AS she grows older, the
bright ebullitions turn acid and bitter.
What was once sharp wit becomes
biting rcasm People vince more and
laugh less. Her friends decrease In
number and her enemies multiply. She
is a sarcastic. bitter tongued old wo-
man. dreaded and dislike1 by every one.
But she did not become so all at once.
Her first arrows Of wit. which were
tipped with sarcasm, laid the founda-
ton OF her disagreeable old age. When
she allowed herself to ridIcule and
mimic unoffending people just to raise
a laugh, she chose the pathway that
leads to unattractiye and ENJOYABLE old
age.
The petted daughter and society belle
usually builds al ind~estructible and
solid masonwork OF ugly old age for her
self in her youth, and all her friends,
relatives, and admirers lend q helping
hand.
"She rules US all" says the doting
mother before the daughter is out Of
short clothes. "There Is no such thing
as denying her anything. Why, her
mana vouid hiring down the roof over
| our heads il We should refuse her any
thing she asks for" As she grows into
Young ladyhood the same false idea OF