The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-01-08

famous; the shower of honorary 0e- grees and decorative ribbons is shortly to begin to fall; and yet suppose (nay, I am sure) that there are many boys to whom I seem as distressingly old as my friend did on that day. Yet every time it is brought home to meas it Is some times brought home to me by the conf- ding talk of some girl whom I take in to dinner, who regards me as long past the power of being interesting as a dear old man, in fact-every time, I say, that this is brought home to me, 1t is with shock of pain.
 I wish here to consider my position briefly, and to state the sources of my happiness and unhappiness. I have all ways cherished the hope that shall not fall into the error of those who la ment in retrospect over vanished Joys 1 and pleasures. It seems to me that it ought to be possible to grow old tenn perately and joyfully, and to gain at each point the appropriate virtues and ornaments of the decade 10 which one belongs I have no wish to anticipate age or to prolong youth unduly. I re- | member silly, chattering old man in ! Swiss hotel, who insisted on taking large party of helpless persons on gla- cier tied together with rope, while he headed the hapless band himself, way ing an ice-axe and recounting the inci- dents of the days when, as he said, he bounded from peak to peak. Hardly were the words out of his mouth when he fell into a shallow adjacent crevasse, and was extricated by the porter, who had accompanied the procession, not in- deed to protect 1t, but to carry humbly | the provision for the midday meal. l Neither then nor since has that lament able old man appeared to me in any thing but a distressing light though there were unhappily only too many persons to be found in the hotel to en- courage him, and even to admire his pa- rade of vigor. I desire personally to be- come older in a dignified way, and to know when to stop active pursuits; and when the time comes, and not before. I desire to beam through my spectacles" upon the young people. I have known men and women who have done this gracefully and successfully, just like the old dog who in his hot youth used to run exultingly with the carriage, and who now only turns out to salute it when 1t departs, to give a hoarse bark or two and then returns contentedly to the fireside to sleep quietly and to be at his best when the beloved party re-
 turns.
 I will say frankly that am far hap pier in every way than was as a young man. I suppose I was never a real ! m n, T oh x,o+I Io
 tented a middle-aged one. suppose,
 too, that have not yet reached the
 point at which physical vigor abates, or at which the mind becomes irrevoca-
 ply made up on every point. I find
 that I can take exercise, though not vi- olent exercise as we'll as ever and with less fatigue I can walk all day in a mountain country, or bicycle all day In an agreeable landscape. I can shoot
 better than used to be able to do; and
 if exercise has not quite the zest it used to have, believe I enjoy 1t more; at the same time I become aware that 1t is not so necessary to me as formerly and that I can keep in health without it.:
 that air, in fact, is more needful than
 exercise.
 Moreover, my interests have largely increased. As a young man I never read the paper, and thought meanly of
 those who did. Now I read my Times
 from end to end and hate to be deprived of it. Then q had enjoyed a strictly
 classical education) I knew no history
 to speak of; I have now fair general knowledge of modern times. Then I
 loved poetry and fiction. Now cannot
 read modern novels, but tend to revert to half a dozen favorite authors; and poetry I seldom deliberately read. I now prefer biographies and memoirs to
 almost any other reading. Formerly a biography ceased to interest me as soon
 as the hero left the university; I now , find that up to the age of about forty l can follow his fortunes with absorbing
 interest Then my circle was composed
 of few friends and relatives. and my
 interests were confined to the doings of I my old school and university and my : own countryside. Now network of in- , numerable fine chains has grown ur over the whole of England, and even
 extends into foreign parts. have
 many correspondents, and the world
 seems more real and lively place thar 1t did. All this is pure gain.
 One special advantage of middle age ]
 will here gratefully record. I now do in matters of amusement, only what ] know amuses me. As a young man !, there were many things I felt bound tc
 do because other people did them, be- : cause they were fashionable, because :, it was natural for young man to dc :, them, and I did not wish to appear slow
 or exceptional, and for other equally
 lame reasons. But now know my owf : mind. I only go to houses where :. Know I shall feel at home-formerly s was incapable of declining an invitation now have no difficulty in refusing tc :. do what I do not like, except in case A where some sacrifice must be made fo
 good-fellowship, as, for instance, if 7 party of bridge cannot be made ul 2 without me. If I am asked to ride ' friends horse, say no. If am aske . to play golf, say do not play it; if e am asked if I would like to go over an
 lunch with some tiresome neighbors, '. say frankly that it would not anus ! me. This, it seems to me, is not sel ,. fishness may honestly say that t have a stronger sense of duty and ar . more conscientious than I was when