The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-08-24
COMES CREEPIm6 on
Omiaous Signs Of Old Age Caught
BY On Observer.
oo0s Hlnss - 0ab1es Thas Should
0sssia ~ - oAs1ews Years
OF lA1s--RsecsVes and
Esampsee - O. ~.


Rsaapsss - O. ~.
Household Words. 49,.
Many Of NJ are fortunate enough 10
escaoe most Of the serious maiAdles
which bsset humanity. Il has been said
eAAk e - treat art 10 grow old grace
ful1y'' ana that - quite true. and great
~ depends upon whether We know how
- grow oSa whosesemely-as nature
intsnAs that We should.
0eswtng Cd n part Of natures orig
inal intsntton. 10 n no maiady. IL the
r1Ght conditions are secured, IL has q
healSh. . vigor. and . beauty which are
Deculiarly In own. Youth canno have
these any more than springtime can
have the namfng sunsets. the holly ber-
ries and the bracing frosts OF late au-
tumn and winter. Youth must wait un-
oil its time comes. and yet the habits
and dispositions Of youth are each N
tribut1ng It's share towards old age
investing the stock Of health and cheer
fulness. which old age will have TO
spend. A great poet-and poets may be
greater than physicians In true dlsgno-
sis-has thus addressed one who loved
the simple and revere ways OF nature
and OF life:
Thy thoughts and feelings shall not die.
A mslsncholy slave:
has i sov siS q : a ' rspi:n and ni s,,s"'
shall lead 70 thee 20 thy grave.
IL In Q terrible indictment against So
ciety or themselves when youth or a
hood toes not desire to attain old age.
IL signifies that decay. which when pre-
mature In disease. has already set in.
The worm Ia In the blossom. no that the
fruit win be worthless. rms wholesome
evolution q nature Is At work only
when each stage OF existence 'e"t~ for
ward. but with actual expectancy. to
che stage upon which Il is advancing.
There In something intensely melon
choly-something limiting Of social de-
c-adence-when people. In granting
childhood proper outlets for It's Joyous
rcstlessness. do 10 with h thought.
Let them be happy. poor dears. while
they can" Happy childhood. In whom
we know divine wisdom lies uncon-
scious. does not feel this. II longs i'm
tenseiy Ito grow up"
Let youth be warned. There are
many who exhort youth 10 save
ey." that In well enough. but the truest
providence Is that which stores health
and hope.
IL should be understood that n life
of hard work and hard fare. IL coupled
with nc food and good air. Is a far bet
ter provision for the well being OF old
age than are idieness and luxury. IL
has been well remarked that most GEN.
tenarlans are to be found among poor
people. even among those whose labors
and privations may be considered ex-
trcme. Few indeed are the m~iliionaIres
who attain Z this honor! Ii Is also to
De quoted hat these very aged people
amoug the poor are quite disinclined to
give up their work. Their object APP
pears to be TO find. not how little they
can do. but how much. They have real
ly loved and respected n labors OF
their lives, possibly without knowing Il.
and they are In no haste for the Ere
tlrement" which SO often puts prema-
ture end to the existence OF the sue
cessful business man"
The first distinct sign OF advancing
years generally appears I'm the eyes.
Between the ages OF % and 90. those
who have hitherto enjoyed the blessings
of normal eyesight find that a change
In coming upon them. At first they
scarcely notice what it is. and adjust
their arrangements TO t. II we see
them In church. ~ at q concert. We
may notice that they hold prayer book
ar program further and further away
from their eyes. giving their heads a
characteristic Jerk backward. Some
times they experience discomfort In
other ways. After needlework or writ
ing they feel " as IL they had been cry
Ing" sometimes they suffer from
headaches, and a sense OF mental confu-
son which they knew before.
The truth Is hat the muscles of the
eye have lost their piiability. and car
only do what they formerly did by a
great though often unconscious enort.
They must 90 to an oculist.
"Nippcrs' are now generally recon-
mcndcd rather than spectacles. because
they can be so placed on the nose as 10
give help In close work. reading writ
ing or sewing. while leaving the eyes
free to look above them at the oom or
the landscape. for which their service
IL not required. MOI need they be worn
out % doors. but only kept ready for
emergencies.
IL must be remembered that this
change OF vision Is absolutely normal
and Involves no disease. Those persons
who appear to escape IL. n OF whom
we hear they worked or read without
spectacles till their death I'm advanced
ge.have. In youth. suffered from a GER
tain degree OF simple short sight. slight
enough. possibly. TO have escaped their
own notice, or the observation of others
before ophthalmic knowledge was 80
wcil advanced. To these people the
change OF life absolutely brings relief.
- far as near work" is concerned.
There are. however. n few Instances
In which his q not appear to have
been the case. and yet the use Of glasses
Il unduiely postponed. IL Is often OBJ
scrvable h a these people suffer much
IN other ways become weak. %ncrvous
and depressed. They are. I'm short. use
lcgsiy cxpcndlng their energy in con-
troilng the muscles of h cye-forcing
& 20 les old work. as nm invalid might
force herself TO lift once accustomed
weights. There Is sometimes "A curious
pride in this immunity from h com
mon lot OF normal humanity. But
when. under such circumstances. the
health Is vIsibly lowered I'm standard.
49,