The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1896-12-10
TO OLD AND YOUNG.
LIFE FROM TWO STkNDPolNTs.
Some Rambling THOUGHTS.
BY "NEMO."
(Copyrighted.)

(Copyrighted.)
1These Thoughts" by layman, are
read in five hundred thousand homes.
scattered in every State of the Union.
In this county they will be found week
by week in the columns of this paper
only, as we have made arrangements
with the author for their exclusive pub
lication.)
With perfect quiet around me sit
at the end of Thanksgiving day in the
book lined study of an aged minister
surely a right psychological climate,
for In this room have been written
words to sick souls-and think over my
weekly message To whom shall it be
directed?
To THE AGED: Have you at this
season thanked the Almighty for spar
ing your life up to the present, or have
you been moaning for the "good old
days.? I trust not this latter. l read
In Shakespeare and other early books
many things regarding the aged. In
those swashbuckler times the average
man no sooner lost his quickness of eye
and activity of body than he was too
often carelessly pushed aside to develop
peevishness and general dlssonance
from the world. / have not the slight
est doubt that Shakespeare correctly
mirrored his day and age.
Compare those conditions with the
present Admitting that there is
sort of dead-line at fifty, after which
man can scarcely hope to get entry In
to new business, the young and ac-
tive being almost alone in demand,
there yet remain twenty and more pos
slble years of life to enjoy the fruits OF
early industry and to take share IN
world that holds out vast possibilities
of rich inspiration in church work, In
reforms, in culture, and in thought.
But to enjoy life and to fight OIL the
dav when the young no longer listen to
YOU with interest, you must make up
YOUR mind not to oppose new knowl-
edge lust because it differs from your
earlier impressions Whenever. as IN
t1mated, you sigh for the former days
and say the present are worse, 1t Is an
undoubted evidence to your listeners
that YOUR mind is no longer receptive
and that you are not merely cid In
wears but actually and really old in
! mind.
He who is constantly gaining knowl'
edge and assimllatlng it never grows
old; and when Natures last debt Ii
paid he is sincerely missed.
Some time ago I was visiting IN
doctors Office in Delaware. In came
his silyer-haired wife, woman OF sew
entv. and with good deal OF glee sh
pointed to the perfect arrangement 0
the petals of plant that she had no
hitherto seen In the garden. l glance'
at her radiant face and understood tn'
secret of beautiful, companionable age
, it is always to be on the alert for some
thing new and interesting in this bless
ed world wherein we are permitted t
linger for time.
A perfect illustration of this is see
: in that dear "Old Boy" Oliver Wende
s Holmes. Gladstone Is another cas-
9 No one can associate the idea OF az
with him, when, with persistency mo
remarkable, he continues to write
the most erudite subjects and brighter
d them with the very latest gleanlngs
knowledge.
Another instance comes to my min
Last Sunday heard DIR. Edward Eve
ett Hale, of Boston. This friend
l. Holmes. and of the group who ha'
n made Boston famous in American
)" erature, Is growing very DID, b1
T. like Moses, his fire Is not abated.
~ voice, instead Of belng treble or nus
piping, is deep and full, and makes
" think, from its resonance and power
as the voice of one who shouteth benea
ne q bridge. When he blurted out IN
w necul,ar way some emphatic thong
90 his whole body seemed to rise up a
distend in the pulpit Yet, thought
" mannerisms, voice, fame, these thr'
would not have drawn such an auole1
OF had there not been in his sermon
to feet and harmonious touch with
IN thought, the questions, the dlfhcuit
,of of this actual present day.
All can not be as pleasant as Holm
ais nor as learned as Gladstone nor as II
ate tied in their possibilities and their
re- ioyrnents as those Of an earlier age
ion Your only hope for the comp
confidence of the young around yo'
:, to make them feel your interest IN
VI present day and your kindly entry
II their problems and perplexltles'
ago different course will estrange them
.ar- Won Will be pereft OF the sweetest So
aw- If age. that comes from the looking
lily ward of the young for advice ana g
.,,+ with hnsh in his We