The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-07-04
ilhday OF MRS, Arp Heraldod as
a Great Event.
las REACHED THREE SCORE AND TEN
Though Hio Better Half ls Seventy.
She Can Still Flash Her Poea.
hontas Eyes Upon the Sage
Of Barlow


in this sublunary world. There are
vslxty 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 it.
every minute one hundred mortal souls
come into this word-to live and die.
for good or for evll-for happiness or
misery. As far back as we have any
history, sacred or profane, kings and
princes have celebrated their birth
y 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 Josephs day
and it was on Herods birthday that
the daughter of Herodias danced be-
fore him for the head of John the Bap-
fist.
~ ! was Illuminating about this because
Npday is a notable birthday in my fam
oily The maternal ancestor has at last
reached her three-score 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 reasoa OF
strength they be four score years yet
is their strength labor AMI sorrow.
Moor old man, he did have a troubled
LIE. He sinned and he repented in
great anguish, as he exclaimed, my
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 l was born"
99lremiahs life was one of lamenta-
tYon The maxims and precepts OF
these old prophets and preachers are
wonderfully beautiful and have never
been equaled, 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
Nlfith her love- forsook his own and
aonsorted with thousand others Of all
NATIONS, creeds and colors He reigned
eighty years and died disappointed,
dishonored, degraded and miserable old
man But old age is not necessarily
unhappy. The poet speaks of
"An old age serene and bright,
nj AS lovely as Lapland night"
4 and another poet says: "The world is
very lovely, oh, my God, thank Thee
that live" Our old age is very much
what we choose to make it. It 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,
x 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 if we have to
force it. Let us grow old gracefully.
l have now in mind just such an one
q hale. healthy old-time gentleman of
four score years, whose presence is al
ASways welcome and whose children,
grandchildren and neighbors and
friends give him glad greeting when he
comes He will be 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 ali 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
fuIhns her years and crosses the line.
Seventy years ago she was born, and
mot long after that the stars fell. OF
eourse they did. Seventy is mineral
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
peope. and seventy years Is the allot-
4 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
If the long war had not INTERVIEWED she
would not look more than 80 years
now. But the wear and teal 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 wonen
asnoolsrr nnfhers- can endure moe