St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-12-11

right psychological climate, for IN this
room have been written words to sick
souIs-and think over my weekly message.
To whom shall it bedirected
To THE AGED: Have you at this sea-
son thanked the Almighty for sparing
your lie up to the present or have you
been moaning for the good old days2"
trust not this latter. | read in Shake
speare and other early books many
things regar ing the aged. In those
swash. bucklcl times the average man no
sooner lost his quickncss OF eye and &C.
tivity of body than he was too often
carelessly pushed aside to develop
peevishness and general dissonance
from the world. have not the slight
est doubt that Shakespeare correctly
mirroted his day and age.
Compare those conditions with the
present. Admitting that there is sort
of dead.lne at fifty, after which man
can scarcely hope to get entry into
new business, the young and active being
almost alone in demand, there yet remain
twenty and more possible years Of life
to enjoy the fruits Of early industry and
to take share in world that holds out
vast possibiliti, of rich inspiration in
church work. in reforms, in culture, and
in thought.
But to enjoy life and to fight off the
day when the young no longer listen
to you with interest, you must make up
your mind not to oppose new knowl-
edge just because it differs from your
earlier impressions. Whenever, as init
mated, you sigh for the former days, and
say the present are worse, it is an un-
doubted evidence to your listeners that
your mind is no longer receptive and
that you are not merely old in years but
actually and really old in mind.
He who is constantly gaining knowl.
edge and assimilatingi never grows old (;
and when Natures last debt is paid he is
sincerely missed.
Some time ago was visiting i'll doc
tors Office in Delaware. In came his
silver haired wife, a woman OF seventy,
and with a good deal OF glee she pointed
to the perfect arrangement of the petals
Of plant that she had not hitherto no.
ticed in the garden. glanced at her ra-
| diant face and understood the secret OF
beautiful, companionabe age; it is al
ways to be on the alert for something
new and interesting in this blessed world
wherein we are permitted to linger for a
time.
A perfect ILLUSTRATION of this is seen in
that dear "Old Boy" Oliver Wendell
Holmes. Gladstone is another case. No
one can associate the idea OF age with
him, when, with persistency most re-
markabIe, he continues to write on the
most erudite subjects and brighteus them
with the very latest gleanings of knowl-
edge.
Another instance comes to my mind.
Last Sunday heard DR.. Edward Everett
HALE. of Boston. This friend of Holmes,
and OF the group who have made Boston
famous in American literature, is grow
ing very old, but, like Moses, his fire is
not abated. His voice, instead OF being
treble or husky piping, is deep and ulI,
and makes me think from its resonance
and power, of the voice of one who
shoutelh beneath bridge. When he
blurted' out in his peculiar way some
emphatic thought his whole body SEEM
ed to rise up and distend the pulpit.
Yet, thought |, mannerisms, voice, fame,
these three would not have drawn such
an audi, nee had there not been in his
sermon perfect and harmonious touch
with the thought, the questions, the
difficulties of this actual present day.
All cannot be as pleasant as Holmes
nor as learned as Gladstone, nor as intiu-
entail as Hale, but none are as limited
in their possibilities and their enjoy
ments as those of an earlier age.
Your only hope for the complete con-
idence OF the young around you is to
make them feel your interest in the pres
ent day an your kindly entry into their
problems and perp'eXities. Any dller
ent course will estrange them and you
will be beret of the sweetest solace OF
age, that comes from the looking up
ward of the young for advice and guild
ance. Almost with hush in his voice
one of the college boys said to me today
when was walking through Princeton
on my way to Trenton tor my Thanks
giving dinner: Mrs, McCosh looks after
us bows yet, What do you think The
other day she called on a sick boy thougl
she did not know him. We boys rever
ence her" That is model old age.