The Van Buren press., 1896-08-15
In HIS OLD AGE.
Bill Arp Tells What an Old Man
Of Seventy Gan Do.
Old Age Has Its Rewards as Well as
Its Inhrmlties-Wh the Poets
Have Said-Arp and His
Grandchiid.

JuSO pdsoSu my 'oli ySui vi ihiS mum
dane sphere, can't keep that old re-
frain out of my mind. Three score and
tenl 1t follows me about, and seems TO
say: "Your time is out, old gentleman.
Every day you live Low is del gratia-
favor-an extra allowance that was
be thankful and prudent, and don't
drink too much ice water this hot
weather A young mans majority is
u, an old mans 70. Twice he crosses
the Rubicon, if he lives that long, and
then comes another rivera darker one
and like Caesar he may say: 'Jacta
est alea'-the die is cast"
was Eliminating about this 70 years
this magical sacred number that is
mans allotted age. Seventy learned men
translated the Old Testament 800 years
before Christ, and 70 disciples were sent
out by Him as missionaries to preach
the Gospel and establish His church.
1t WINS Moses who wrote that the days of
our yesrs shall be three score and ten,
and yet he lived to be 100 years-nearly
twice the allotted age, and half of which
was labor and sorrow-worlting with
vexatious and ungrateful people. II is
curious how gradually the age of man.
kind dropped down from 900 to 1870 in
ten generations that succeeded Noah;
then it dropped to 20 in the next ten,
and there it stands. There has been no
change for 1000 years. The long suf-
fo1-ino To ba (iraDtnr tn have
been appeased.
Well, of course these 70 years are not
the fixed limit for man or woman, but
they are certainly the allotment of
human longevity. But few go beyond
it. The wagon breaks down all over.
1t can't be patched up any more. For
several years it has been sent to the shop
occasionally for repairs, and been doing
light work, but the time will surely
come when wheels and axles and hounds
must all collapse. This is no misfortune
nor fault nor penalty, but, as Judge
Hammond used to sly: 1T is the law
of this case" and there is nothing SO
very sad or horrible about it. 1t is just
such a change as all nature is going
through, and if man lives right, he has
no reason to lament its coming. Every
seed of tree or flower is a symbol of our
own resurrection.
Old age has its rewards as well as its
inhrmities. Moses said that the young
men shall stand up and honor the
faces of the old men, and. many of the
promises are q good old age-a full
agc-a ripe old age, as shock of corn
in its season. How considerate are the
children to their aged parents, and how
loving are their grandchildren. They
run our errands and comb my back
hair and black my shoes and go to the
post Office. The years from 10 to 30
are not always years of labor and sor
row-sometimes they are the best of
oil. Sydney Smith said: 81 am 74years
old, am at ease in my circumstances,
In tolerablo health, mild whig, a toll
Grating churchman, much given to
talking, laughing and noise. | am,
upon the whole, a happy man-hnve
found the world entertaining, and EN-
thankful to Providence for the part al
Lotted me in it,"
Much depends on mans surround
irgs, but more depends on his philoso-
rhy. One poet says:
1.-THE world is very lovely. oh. my God
| I thank Thee that live"
Another says:
"I would not live Away, ask not to stay
Where storm after storm grows dark
DER the way"
Bryant writes beautifully about life
and death and lying down to pleasant
dreams. DR.. Holmes polles his irresist-
ible humor at old age:
But now his nose is thin
And rests upon his chin
Like a stan,
And crook is In his back
And a melancholy crack
In his laugh;
But | know 1t is sin
For me to sit and grin
At him here"
! And it was. He should have risen up
according to Scripture and tipped his
hat to the poor old man. But the
bears are extinct in that region, and the
doctor knew it.
Mr. Shakespeare is somewhat sarcas-
tic himself, for he makes Prince Hal
say to Falstaff:
"Are you not written down with all
the characters of old age? Have you
not moist eye, dry hand, a yellow
cheek, white beard, a decreasing leg,
an increasing corporosityP Is not
your voice broken, your wind short,
your chin double, your wit single, and
every part about you blasted with an
tiquity?"
That is a vie SANDER upon the three
score and ten of this generation. Look
at the stalwart forms of many of At
lanta's notable men who have long
since passed the Rubicon, such as DR..
Alexander, George Adair, Chess How
ard, Redwlne and Lawshe and big jim
Dunlap. big Jim" says he is just the
age of Bismarck and Gladstone, the
three greatest living octogenarians-
and there IS no melancholy crack in his
laugh. George Adair is still Scotch
Irishman from away back, and II he
hadn't have fallen downstairs at the
"0ld Village School" show, would be
taken for about three score and five,
/ uId no IuOft. anu III AitNdHucI - lot
even a G5-year suspect. In fact, old age
carries itself better now than it used TO-
People take more pride in their person
al appearance, especially the women.
was just thinking about a neiCh5or
whose visits are always welcome--who
comes with a smile and never says a
bitter or q foolish thing. She is said
10 be old, but she still is beautiful, and
Sits in her chair with the graceful ease