The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1902-06-26
Birthday of Mrs'lrp Herald0d as
Great Event.
HAS REACHED THREE SCORE AND TEN
Thouah His Better Halt 10 Seventy,
She Can Still Flash Her Poea.
hontas Eyes Upon the Sage
Of Barlow.

in this submnary world, There are
sixty millions of them every year and
that means about one hundred and
fifty thousand every day or six thou
sand every hour. Just think OF 1t
every minute one hundred mortal souls
come into this world-to live and die,
for good or for evil--for happiness or
misery. As far back as we have any
history. sacred or profane, kings and
princcs have celebrated their birth
DAYS with feasts and wine and song
and even the humble and the poor
take note Of their annual return Pha'
raoh celebrated his in Joseph's day
and It was on Herod's birthday that
the daughter Of Herodias danced be-
fore him for the head of John the Bap-
fist.
was Eliminating about this because
today is a notable birthday in my fam
ily. The maternal ancestor has at last
reached her threescore years and ten,
the allotted age of man and womanklnd,
and from now on every day she lives
will be one Of grace. David says that
the days of our years are three score
years and ten, but If by reason OF
strength they be four score years yet
is their strength labor and sorrow.
Poor old man, he did have troubled
life. He sinned and he repented in
fgh he
sin is ever before me-" Solomon saith,
"The day of ones death is better than
the day of his birth" And Job said,
"Cursed is the night when was born"
Jeremiah's life was one of lamenta'
ton. The maxims and precepts of
these old prophets and preachers are
wonderfully beautiful and have never
been equalled, but great men are not
always wise, and even Solomon fell
from grace and died accursed, The
man who said, Rejoice in the wife of
thy youth and be thou always ravished
with her love-" forsook his own and
consorted with thousand others Of all
nations, creeds and colors. He reigned
eighty years and died a disappointed,
dishonored, degraded and miserable old
man. But old age is not necessarily
unhappy The poet speaks Of
IAN old age serene and bright,
AS lovely as Lapland night"
and another poet says: "The world is
very lovely. oh, my God, 1 thank Thee
that live" Our old age is very much
what we choose to make it. 1t Is a SAD
thing to be weary and tired with the
weight Of years. 1t is pitiful to look
upon an old man who never smiles,
who has outlived all social pleasures
and whose company is neither sought
nor desired. For the sake of our neigh.
bors and friends it is our duty to be
cheerful in their company, We should
sometimes smile even IL We have to
force it. Let us grow old gracefully.
have now In mind just such an one
a hale healthy old-time gentleman of
four score years, whose presence is al
ways welcome and whose children,
grandchildren and neighbors and
friends give him glad greeting when he
comes. He will he missed when he
dies, for the world is better that
he lives in It, His Christian faith, his
moral conduct, his good example and
his cheerful disposition are benedcc
ton to the community.
But was thinking about my wife's
birthday. There are thirty-seven birth
days in our family, and she knows
them all and never forgets them, They
average about three a month, but this
one Of hers is a notable one, for she Is
the maternal ancestor, and this day
tulfills her years and crosses the line
Seventy years ago she was born, and
not long after that the stars fell OF
course they did. Seventy is numeral
Of sacred significance. There were sew
enty elders of Israel and seventy wise
men compiled the Old Testament The
Jews were kept in captivity seventy
years. The Lord sent out seventy Of
his disciples to preach and teach the
people, and seventy years is the allot-
ted age Of mankind. But my wife is
not old. Time has not written any
wrinkles on her brow nor burrows on
her cheek nor silvered her raven hair.
II the long war had not interviewed she
would not look more than so years
now. But the wear and tear OF the
war and anxiety while fleeing from the
foul invader with six hungry children
tagging after her. made years Of
months and weeks Of days. But women,
especially mothers, can endure more
distress and suffering than men. The
m nAnrnnI Inntlnt ..nnnc III On, nm ri ~.