Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-05-07
bare brown branch Of sslashnss' Is

more fully revealed.
There are more disagreeable old mon
than women in the world, because wo-
men, as a rule. are obliged to practice
more self-sacrlice aud un~selhshness
and patience In early life than men
practice.
Men who have ruled their house.
holds. wives, children, servants aud
employees by a rod of fear rather than
love during youth and middle age, make
very unpleasant old men. Mentally and
physically ~incapacltated from inspiring
fear, they are unable to inspire any
thing but hatred or the pity which
springs from scorn.
Unable to rule, which has been the
source OF their happiness In earlier
years, they pass their old age in carp
ing criticisms aud f~ault-finding Of those
who succeed them.
The children who have formerly
obeyed them only through fear now ig-
more their wishes and fail to show them
the respect due to gray hair-a respect
impossible to feel where there are no
qualities to inspire 1t. but which good
breeding and humanity ought to impose
In seeming.
1t is all very well to talk about the
love and respect we owe our ancestors,
but those are emotions which annot be
prompted by duty. II old people rem
der themselves absolutely ENJOYABLE, 10
is not in the power OF their children or
grandchildren to love them; but IL Is
possible for those descendants 10 treat
them with kindness, consideration and
patience. An old mar who has lived q
grasping, mercenary, selfish lie cannot
expect TO be respected on account OF MS
gray hairs; but out OF self-respect bis
children aud relatives ought to show
forbearance and kindness. The sons
and daughters OF such a man will be-
moan the fact that their father Is so
captions and ENJOYABLE, while at the
same time they indulge in habits and
cultivate qualities in themselves which
will lead them directly to the same goal
In time. They forget that one does not
grow old In q day-it takes q lifetime TO
produce old age.
The man who passes bis youth 10 the
pursuit Of pleasure and his maturity In
the pursuit Of gold, ignoring the feel
ings aud rights OF others during both
periods, cannot fail to become q most
IN unpleasant old man.
I, is only through sympathy with
others and through a lifelong habit OF
loving and thoughtful consideration for
those about US that we can hope TO
avoid swelling the great army OF "dlsa-
greeable old people,"
No matter how you may got along
without these qualities in early life
through brilliancy, power, beauty, or
position, you will be disliked and
avoided, and possibly neglected In your
old age if you do not possess them; they
alone can Offset the unpleasant and I'M
attractive phases Of old age, and unless
they are cultivated in early life 1t will
DO almost impossible TO acquire them
when needed.
/ believe the wave OF th~eosophical
thought which is passing over the earth
will serve to dignity and glorify old age
as orthodox religion has failed TO do.
While our churches teach respect to the
aged, they do not teach the advantages
and desirability Of long life; they impress
US with the idea that n young angel &C.
cupies quite as exalted q position as an
old one In the heavenly choir; and youth
seems TO have the advantage In the next
world as we'll as this. The belief In re-
incarnation and all that belief involves
will work a vast change In human
thought In this respect. The value OF a
long and varied experience In this phase
Of life will, II properly utilized, be OF
vast account to US when we return, as
we must, to still further develop the d.
vine element within US.
The earnest and sincere student OF re-
incarnation must desire q long and COM
plete life; he must welcome sorrow as
we'll as Joy, pain as well as pleasure.
since only through these well-borne
experiences can he hope to occupy a
better and higher position in his next
earth life. He does. not believe that he
can repent upon his death-bed for an
ill-spent existence. and battle In the
glory Of paradise through eternity. He
knows that as he sows shall he reap,
and that he must carve out bis W
future position by the use OF his oppor-
tunities here. The more extended
those opportunities, the better.
he does not think that the thine
Of his usefulness Is past" and that no
has nothing more TO do save to die,
because be has reached threescors
years and ten. he believes that while
he has the power 10 think be Is still
carving out position and events for
his coming incarnation, and therefore
he ~rejoices 10 life. Once let the old
people be filed with this thought and
the young must respect and yenerate
them, and find in them that strength.
help and guidance which so few old
people ever give. IL Is a great step
towards the uplifting OF old age when
the head of an orothodox church
breaches re.incarnation from the
pulpit-a miracle which occurred In
one OF our prominent parishes recently,
and which augurs still greater miracles
for those who listen and understand.
ELLA WURELER-WUcox.