Birmingham age-herald., 1895-08-18

to whom girls and men made their con
 fidences, and 1t was the grandmother
 whom 1 found at night with her dauSh-
 ters tiny little son cradled in her arms
 while she sang softly and sweetly lit-
 tie dream song in infinite charm to the
 restless little mite struggling with new
 tooth.
 It was the grandmother who shamed us
 all by appearing that delightful Sabbath
 morning, attired in a grass linen oyer
 mauve silk petticoat, with a little null
 bonnet on her head and prayer book in
 her carefully gloved hand, ready for
 church and too well bred to express sur
 prise that the rest of US had forgotten
 our religious duties entirely in the dolce
 far nenti of Lenox summering. and tell
 it not in Gath, but it was the grand
 mother l encountered one morning quite
 early seated upon the nursery floor play ing dominoes with tot of 3, the elder of the grandchildren.
 The Uselsssn sss of Growing Old. I have insisted there was no need of woman growing old, and can point to
 many living truths of my theory, but I never dreamed of such an entrancing demonstration of the art of not growing old as I found in this sweet woman of the so-called middle age, so one day l ventured to say to her:
 Bella donna, will you tell me for the benefit of all others how you have re- tained the figure, the skin and the youth of a girl, until, well I laughingly added,
 at least your 18th year, for you must be that old"
 "'Yes. indeed she replied, T will tell you how I happen to have conquered Time since 1t seems to interest you Women Like Gardens. First of all, I am 45 years of age You will say I do not look it, but 1 know that do. 1 look 45 while most women of my
 age look 65. Of course there is reason for it, and of course l am conscious that as we say am well preserved or rather that most women of my age are not pre- served at all but have run riot or been neglected and misued. Women are good deal like gardens, they must be planted with good seed. After that II IS case of great care and cultivation with beauty, strength and health as result on the contrary if in place of care they receive neglect and ill treatment they are like gardens run to waste, whose flowers crown a starved stalk or are found atop a stunted wide-spreading root.
 Now. I come of good stock. My father was a New England man, my mother beautiful southern woman, both young and vigorous and loving. That IS what I call good seed sowing in life's garden. I was married at 16. "No,'' she interject-
 ed seeing the question upon my lips, T do not at all approve of such early mar riages My own or others, although my
 married life was happy one, but mar ried at that age. I was just out of the convent, where I had been educated.
 Before I was 20 was the mother of three children, and I felt and really think
 looked older than I do today. My hus- band died suddenly while my little ones were all babies-for several years l lived the life which is supposed to be a fitting and seemly one for young widow. That is to say I existed in utter seclu- sion, going no place but to church, spend ing my days caring for my little ones. My nights in tears and apprehension for the future, for was not only young and bereaved, butI was also poor. My moth CT died when was just "A years old and
 I inherited from her property enough to
 yield me an annual income of $5000
 Just an Every Day Woman.
 remained at home after mothers death for a year or two. My children
 were now growing up, and with the
 freedom which my independence secured for me I began to make plans for the future and to assert my own ideas in
 way which almost dumbnounded my rel atives Finally I one day astonished my family by announcing my determina-
 tion to take my little ones abroad for several years stay, and despite the in-
 numerable objections raised by every in- dividual connected with us I, lrried my point.
 For eight years we were in France and Germany, where studied with the chill dren and learned to speak and read the continental languages fiuently-in fact grew young in soul in that atmosphere of freedom and mental activity, and life
 grew bright and happy. After reading
 the histories of the women who were de- termined to remain young and attrac- tive and the methods by which it is
 agreed they succeeded, I declared war against old age in every way, shape and form.
 What did you do?" asked. "Tell me first what you did and let me tell every one else.'
 q began by taking care of my body as though 1t were what 1t really is, seldom as we realize it, my most precious gift. looked over my possessions and found had a good figure, with tendency to embonpoint and slight inclination to round shoulders head of rather pretty hair in point of color and texture, but getting thin, excellent eye-sight, good teeth, fair general health, with dispo- sition to melancholy, rather sallow complexion and a tendency to headaches. Worst of all steadily growing hatred for physical exercises. l read one day | a valuable French work on hygeine and decided upon a regime which I thought would suit my case. arranged my plan of battle and proceeded to carry 1t out Waning With Age.
 sI arose the next morning at T, and after taking glass of milk walked a dis l tance of two miles. had for years break 1 lasted at 10, but never since that day l have I been in bed later than o'clock.
 I began to take care of my hair, washing 1 it thoroughly every day and using ton l ic to promote it's growth. I took l course of treatment for my skin from a l famous specialist and got rid of the sal l lowness which never intend to permit | returning. I joined a gymnasium with l my children and enjoyed it so much that