The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-04-11
Living Ones Life ever.

If it were possible for people to
have the choice of going back to their
| infancy and live their lives over again
we wonder if many would be found to
avail themselves Of the privilege. We
can fancy that if it were question of
selecting certain portions of ones life
for repetition many persons would be
glad to do that; but he or she must
have been exceptionally happy who
would be willing to take the good and
bad together and to repeat from the
beginning the experiences Of a whole
life. With all our natural dislike to
the idea Of growing old, and the innate
dread Of death which even the best
people feel, most of US would rather
face both of these evils than to return
to the starting point and endeavor to
make more out of life than we have
done.
II am very thankful to have got this
far without making any worse mistakes
than I have, and fear that another
time I might not do even as WELL" is
generally the thought that comes to
us when the question is asked if we
would like to live our lives over again
for if there is any one feeling that in
creases as we get on in years it is dis
trust of ourselves. The very young
are very self-suficient and very sure
of their ability to withstand tempta-
tions of all kinds, as we'll as to accom-
plish all things by their own strength
and courage; but, as the years 60 on
and one failure after another shows
us our weakness, we gradually begin to
distrust ourselves and to shrink
from undertaking anything that may
put our boasted powers to the test.
1t is common experience of those
who are past the meridian of life to
look back and wonder at the tremen-
dous importance they used to attach
to things which now appear SO trivial
to them, and at the great exertions
they made to gain some object which
now does not seem worth having. So
strongis this feeling it often seems
impossible that the person we were in
youth and the middle-aged being we
now know ourselves to be can be
identical; and it is fortunate if the
actions Of that almost unrecogniza-
Bile self has not left US, a heavy
crop of regrets to be harvested in old
age.
Those who have children growing
up around them would probably
care least to live their lives over again.
1t is far better in their estimation to
have the privilege of guiding these
other and dearer lives Alright, so long
as they are spared to do so, and to be
able by their own experience and hard
earned wisdom to so direct their
steps that many of the mistakes which
marred their own careers may be
avoided. In the parental affection
they endow their children with many
qualities in which they confess them
selves wanting, and SO they look for
ward to putting their life's werk into
the trust Of their child, feeling conf
dent that he will be able to carry it on
much better than they did. And so all
thought of themselves allymerges
into hopes and plans for those who
shall succeed them.
Those who have no such rejuvena-
tion to look forward to may some
times long to stay the flying years, or
think what happy thing it would be
to recover their lost youth and to 60
back and make more of their opportu-
mites than they have done. As they
review the past it seems that they
might have made so much more of
their lives, have accomplished SO
much greater results, or have acted
differently in so man crises, and if
only the chance to do so were given
them they would seize it gladly. But
we believe the far more usual feeling
Of even those unfortunate beings to
be that each year loosens their hold
upon life and makes them more will
ing to have done with it. If their
career has been bright one, then
they are thankful for the sunshine
that has fallen upon their pathway,
and that they have been spared the
Sorrows which they have seen weigh
ing others down, and would not dare
return ''lest worse things might hap
pen to them" If their life has been sad,
they have had enough Of it and long to
then hasten over tie years that
still intervene before they can lay its
burden down.
1t might seem that all those who
have found life worth living in the
highest meaning of those words would
be willing to go back and live it over
again, but this We do not believe to
be tie case. Certainly one must think
that Gladstone's life has been very
full and satisfactory one, notwithstand.
ing the fact that he has not accom-
plished ali that he desired politically;
and vet, now that he has made his
last exit from the political stage in
England, and can in the quiet of his
lovely home at Hawarden calmly re-
view the stirring scenes through which
he has passed, it is not likely that his
declining years will be troubled with
any fierce desires to go back and live
them over again. And as to the Hun
garian patriot whose long life of dis
appointment has just ended, We may be
sure he was ready enough to have done
with it. and that he was infinitely
thankful that he did not have to begin
it again.
As we have, however, no choice in
the matter, and are perfectly assured
we shall never have another chance to
rectify mistakes made now, it would
seem to be to our best wisdom to