The age-herald., 1897-09-26

Funny, isn't it, that these old fools nev- CT seem to realize that while we keep the babies-the real new babies-all bundled up, the same rule ought to ap- ply to them. But second childhood and seminudity seem to be the combine fancied.
 A lady who is over 90, whose skin is like parchment, whose bones seem to crack as she walks. but who because of her great wealth is invited every where, persists in wearing the lowest of low bodices and natural flowers in her hair. She is one of the women who didn't understand how to grow old gracefully. With years have come an accumulation of folly, and this poor old wretch-for, with all her wealth, she de- serves pity-malSes herself a laughing stock, is a deaths head at a feast and yet the people who know her best md care for her most do not dare to hint to her that she is dressing over 60 years too young.
 I don't read Greek, but I have seen no end of pictures of Grecian ladies, and, though the costumes were as ar tistic as the Anthony Comstock of that day would permit. still in not a single one of them can I find a woman who looks over 30 years old. Now, what did they do with their old women? Evi- dently they did not permit them to dress in Greek fashion and sit on benches in artistic attitudes. What a pity some of those people who are always digging antiquities up can't get hold of real Greek, a Greek of the time of long ago, put life into him and induce him to tell how the elderly Grecian lady dressed.
 This sounds disrespectful to old age, but it isn't meant to be so. There is nothing so beautiful to me as the vom- an who respects herself and who, being great grandmother, doesn't display a large portion of the upper part of her body to a scoffing multitude. For the women who insist upon doing this it can only be said that, having no re- spect for themselves, they cannot get it from other people. The fat woman looks like a food exposition, and the thin one looks like an umbrella frame. If you have any doubt as to the truth of what I am saying, compare one of these improperly dressed old women with an elderly Quakeress, or even think of her and then think of the dig nified woman of many years who wears rich but handsome clothes suited to her years and her position in life. Until the elderly lady dresses properly she need expect no consideration, but do wish that she would think over, how she might look if she would.
 Do you ever wish? Do you remember that Swedenborg said, Man, beware of that which thou wishest with intensity, for it will surely come unto thee?" I was at a wishing well this summer, and, remembering this, I got frightened and concluded not to wish anything very much for myself, but to do a lot of wishing for other people. Here are my wishes and here are my answers:
 I wished that I might have new pair of shoestrings. I got them.
 I wished that I might have some new silk stockings I got them.
 I wished that I might have a birthday cake. I got it.
 1 wished that somebody would write some good books, books that would be interesting, books that would be bright, without nasty ideas for the plots. I got a few of these, but I am still sticking to Dickens. Thackeray and Kipling.
 I wished that men wouldn't be so snappish when you asked them why they never reached the house in time when they were to take you to the the ater. This wish seemed to go to the very bottom of the well and will prob ably be found when truth is discovered, or ~else I didn't wish it with enough