The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-02-27

eruting churcllnun---ln given to talking,
laughing and noise; am, on tho whole,
happy man, have found tho world an enter
tainins world and an thankful to Proy-
dence for the part allotted me in it,
IOngfelloW lived to be scventy-Eve. Whom
he was seventy he wrote his friend Childs:
1T is like climbing the Alps: you reach a
snOW-crownch summit and see behind You
the deep valley stretching miles and miles
away, and before you other submits, higher
and whiter, which you may have strength to
climb or YOU may not. Then you sit down
and mediate and wonder which it will be.
This is the whole story"
Dr. Holmes saw so much fun in everything
that he couldn't i,Hlp making funny rhymes
about an old man:
but now his nose is thin
Aud it rests upon his chin
Like a staff;
And a crook is in his back,
And q melancholy crack
Is in bis laugh"
Then he was sorry that lie wr3tc il e. IL
says:
'I know il i; q sin
For me to sit and grin
At him here.
The doctor didn't expect to live to be
eighty-llye, FOR long ago he said: Our
brains arc sevHntv-yrur clocks: the angel Of
life winds them 10 oncs for all, than cla52s
the case and gives the key to the angel Of
the resurrection"
But IN old man is not obliged to have q
crook in his back nor /! crack in lis laugh.
We see many aged men who are straight as
an Indian ami haze not lost the musical tone
OF their voice. Habi. and pride Of person
have much 10 do with tais. / know IN aged
matron, {. nHi- y, I'll ours. who when she
Is sitting hardly touches tho back OF a
chair and yet H.,is, IS not stiff or awkward
always graceful. always beautiful. She is
kind and gentle in her age, and has q warm
welcome wherever she visits. IF she cannot
hear all that is said she is not embarrassed,
for she says what she lacks in hearing she
makes up in seeing, and reading and is
thankful for The faculties that arc still left
her. I never saw her with q troubled look,
though know she has had trouble and deep
grief. Now. contrast such a woman with
one who is aIwayo compiainn: of her hard
lot, or saying something disparayinS about
her neighbours!
But the o!d-t!Hlc mothers had some excuse
| for beat shoulders, for it was the fashion to
sleep on pillow and bolster. and il was the
! fashion to lean III, child while it was nurs-
| ing. Hubits begun in childhood and con-
| tinuad in motherhood will never be broken
| in the decline Of life. [ believe that the
habits Of the girls Of this generation are an
| Improvement On those OF the past. They do
! not lace like they used to, and they carry
themselves NOR. graaerllly. They have bet
| ter fitting shoes and cGrsrts. They have
! more comfortable seats at school and are
not allowed to lean forward to their books
Or slate or writing pad. The life insurance
| companies have IL lust discovered that wo-
men live as long rs men. if rot longer, and
policies are Issued to them on equal terms.
The Longevity of both sexes is Increasing,
slowly but surely, and The only drawback is
intcmperance- whisky and opium. We're it
not for these the MISREPRESENTATION limit
would soon be advanced to four score end
give Us u stronger and handsomer race Of
| people.
Shakespeare gave us some types Of old age
that seem to have fitted the time in which he
lived. but they are very rarc in ours. Prince
| Hal said to FalstatT: "IIave you not all the
characters Of ayc---a moist eye, a dry hand
a yellow cheek. white beard. Il decreasing
leg, an increasing corporosity? Is not you,
voice broken, your wind short, your chin
double. your wit single and every part about
you r!not"A Wit, antiiV:!y?'
den, tEs p:c,'Il,:. IS somebody said,
deny tho allegation and defy the alligator
There IS some of it that does not 1T me,
know. These poets are too fond Of pokine
fun at old mon. The she bears ought tt
come along. The scripture says that ole
ago is honorable and that the young me1
shall rise up when the old men come in a
the cato. The old men are the balance
wheels OF all the machinery Of government
If it were not for them, the boys would rul
away with the wagon. There must b
wheel horses with breeding on to holt
back when going down hill. Wha
are we here for? We can't climb
tree or Jump q ten rail fence an
more, nor kick a college ball nor ride bi
cvcle. but these things are non-essential
and don't have to DO done. We can loo
after the grand children and point a mora
and tell them 4 tale and teach the youn
idea how to shoot without carrying 4 pistc
in q hin pocket. Solomon saws that tn
glory of an Old nan is his childrcn's chi
drar. and he might have said that the Chi
, dren who have no grand parents did nc
| have their share of hapnincss in this world
But old age has it's triumnhs and consol:
lions. It has nnssed all selishness and val
ambitions and takes comfort in memorit
aud nh,lcsonhi, meditation. It realizes Il.
wonderful rratg;re:s OF art and invention. K