The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-07-31
Respect for the Aged.

Last sunday Kew. j. w. POWELL, Du-
luth divine, delivered a sermon in which
he called attention to the disrespect that
is shown the aged by thoughtless and
discourteous people. The Duluth News
Tribune comments editorially upon the
sermon, as follows:
THAT was pretty thought of Rever-
end J. w. Powell's-to hold a servire
for the old people, on Sunday last. The
young clergyman's sermon as briefly
quoted in Sundays News Tribune. was
one that should be repeated at services
held especially for the young people. The
thoughtful pastor sent carriages to con-
yey the old folk TO the eaufch, and ar
ranged his song service 50 as to include
the simple, beautiful old hymns, sung by
them many, many years ago.
"But the sermon was the feature of
the service Mr. Powell deplored the
manifest, growing disrespect of the pres
ent time toward old age. He is right.
One notes it everywhere. Old age, of
itself, is not venerated, is not considered
by the hurrying, needless youth of the
day Old age, when clad in broadcloth,
may receive some consideration in a
CtONu, uuC oiu aye, uhduoihSu VI po"Si
or prestige, is too apt to be jostled.
"The courtesy that comes from the
heart should manifest itself always in
the presence of the old. Neglect of par
ents to teach their children reverence
and consideration, is plainly shown in
the remissness of the children and the
Young men and women in the matter of
their proper attitude toward the aged.
mir. Powell spoke truly of the debt
owed by youth to age, when he said:
"'Young people are apt to think of the
old as an unimportant factor in life, and
to see themselves as the only motive
force by which the world moves. Old
people. too, are prone to take much the
same view of the situation, looking only
at the time when they were busy In the
struggle for existence, and see them
selves as removed from the worlds work
a care and burden only, to those still &C
lively engaged.
"sYoung people should realize that il
IS the experience and Judgment of agt
,yb. ;ch aids them to success, not to bt
,I,ta;, I'd in all the energy and fire o.
Uoutb ~. ere it not applied according. t.
tho ad,;oo f those who know and under
S4snd .ho nor> ices of the world. Boil
should more RESP h, i,ips -. 49,,
the elderly s4,a.& nc
ssWell for the though. AeSS, se,u'n you,l
and maiden who disrega ~ .ne e,uel :,
person-if respectable, cohA uoi taole ~, vi'
age be in store for them N. i'her MI
Powell nor the News Tribune wo> ",eF 90 .a.
that the tendency to push the old t. 'n'
wall is entirely general. Some young Pc, :
ple-grown people-there are, whose
courtesy is of the highest type, but there
is a growing condition of selfish needless
ness and impertinent attitude toward the
grandfathers and grandmothers of to-
day. that cannot but be deplored. ~.
''Young men sit complacently and read
their newspapers in street cars, while
shabby old men, and sometimes old wo-
men, are allowed to stand. Young folks
hurry to the car door to get off at their
crossings and push and crowd the old
folks hanging to straps. These things
may be observed by any one who travels
i'm the street cars. The best seat in the
car, the best pew in the church, the po-
sition of advantage everywhere where
courtesy may grant it, should be con-
ceded to the old.
The old people have earned this con-
sideration by years well spent to the end
that the yeung might have advantages
denied to their own distant youth.
"The streets of city are sometimes
more than avenues of commercially
are thoroughfares of travel, and the rule
of the road that the strong concede the
right of way to the weak, should be OBJ
served