The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1903-06-05
A SENSE OF HUMOR.
IT IS A POTENT FACTOR IN KEEPING
LIFE SWEET TO THE END.


you'll never be young but once" is n
popular fallacy. 1t presupposes two
things - that the young. because of
youth, must have fun and that as soon
MS 1t is passed the capacity for enjoy.
ing 1t Is over.
Some never grow old, and some are
never young. Age lies in the indlvidu-
al and is not Il question of dates.
because q person ceases to be able to
glgSlc 1T every remark. to bubble over
with SlccfulncSs at tho slightest prov
ocation. Is no criterion that real mirth-
fulnCss has fled. The delicate sense Of
humor that may take the place of this
showy buoyancy is far more to DO
priced.
\ sense of humor is potent factor
in keeping life sweet to tho end. \
green and jolly old age is as jolly rs
gay youth.
\ sense of humor can be cultivated,
and it should he as asSiduousIy MS for
bcarancc, kindness or any of the car.
dinal virtues.
With the slipping away of youth de-
Epair asserts itself only when 1t Is
thought JOY and mrth must fee also.
Are we sure that youth is so posi-
lively happy rs ii is supposed to be? Is
there not a rcStlcSSnCSS. an uncertain
ty, In the steps Of young girl that
causes anxiety to be mingled with cv-
cry move? She is full OF theories, ia
lmbucd with ideals, but how to obtain
the desired ends is Il mootcd question.
She can never be rs securely happy as
Is tho married woman. or unmarried.
who has. MS it were, found her feet
surely and knows how TO get what she
wants, or, at least. knows what she
wants TO got. There is Il restless look
Ing forward for pleasures each day, an
unhappy killing Of time before some
promised joy arrives in the young that
nll who have passed 1t can painfully
remember.
Girls arc so imbucd by the thought
less. with the idea that all joy ceases
with youth. that they have feeling Of
commiscration for those who have bid
farewell TO this cphcmcral period. Lit
tie do they realize how tho study of all
life, the enlarged power to feel. to see,
to bear. to live. to enjoy, is the price
less gift OF every added year.
There Is something pitiful in watch
Ing tho nervous grasp ut JOY in youth.
We see constantly young girls literally
afraid TO loosen their hold on one day
or one pleasure to fulfill an act Of SIM
pie duty.
There is not unfamiliar story of O
young girl In Il ballroom who was stop
ped as she walked about the floor on
the arm Of one of her partners by an
old family friend, who inquired, with
interest. for her mother.
My dear. I'm glad saw you," he
repeated. Flows your mother?'
No reply. She only clunS to tho arm
on which she leaned and WAS hasten
Ing by when the old gentleman. seeing
her fear lest her escort should slip
away. laid his hand on the young
mans coat collar.
My dear. I'll hold him." he cried,
twlnk'inS lis eye w:ckci!y. flows
your motlcri''
He WAS not Il vc:y nice old gentle
man. perhaps. but that hc got IL full
share Of fun out OF life none could
doubt. ana the attitude ct the young
girl. holding fast to hcr prize lest lie
should escape. is exactly the attitude
Of youth that looks to the early days
for all It's share Of Joy.
waS i'm Il group of young unmar-
rird women. Soi"c nearing thirty. 9th
crs who had just ovcrs;cppcd this crit.
lcal date. They were expressing ia
graphic language their scnsi:vcncss
about their age.
l have taken some pains TO hunt I'D
statistics about TIC attractions and ac-
colnpliSlmCntS O. women WHO wore
past tliiS m-r which commend to
their p"ruSal In il:r first place novel
lists ar; taking women between thirty
ana forty for t!:cir hcroincs. II Is thu
woman WHO cares to lave thoughts
and has cultivated herself to the point
OF expressing them who commands
friends and lovers who are worth
while.
Helen of Troy was over forty when
She pcrpetratcd the most famous clopc-
mcnt OF record. and as the siege Of
Troy lasted twenty years she could not
have been very Juvenile when the i'll
fortune OF Paris restored E"r TO her
husband. who. il is said. received her
with love and gratitude"
Cleopatra was past thirty when An
tony fc!l under hcr spell. and her fas.
citations for Elm had not lnsscncd
when she died ten years later.
fcrIclcs welded Aspasia at the age
Of thirtysiy. and she welded unds.
putcd influence over men for thirty
years aftcrward.
livia was thr;y-tlircc when she won
tic love Of Augustus. over whora she
maintained her asccndcncy to the last.
Louis XIV. welded Nine. Main.cnon
when she was forty-thrcc years of age