Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-11
COLONEL CHOPTANK
AND THE SEN ATOR

Coming down from the Capitol the other
| day the senator and I paused on the ter
race at the west front to draw in a breath
| of fresh air. 1t was stingingly cold even
| ing, the snow crusted with FROST and a
! careering northwest gale swept through
the tree tops. Over Arlington way red
sun was dipping behind the woods and
| tinging the snow on the Virginia hills a
! dark carmine. Below lay the river a sheet
| of ice and snow and everywhere the eye
| roamed was evidence of February's reign.
This remarked the senator, naturally
draws your mind to open fires and apple
toddies. Let's drop in on Colonel Chop
tank" Half an hour later found us enter
ing the coloners parlor and before we got
| in a merry cracking and a soft glow told
us that the open fire was going in good
shape.
Looking over our shoulders as we sat be-
fore the fire the shadows danced upon the
walls and in the far corners of the room.
Il think said the colonel. that the most
suspicious time to take a drink a win
ters evening is the interim between the
departing daylight and the arrival of the
candles, if you have just enough light in
the fireplace to enable you to see the spoon
in your glass"
OF course we had to stay to dinner and
after that meal began the discussion of
which l now write. The question arose
whether man should live his life to the
limit in youth or conserve his resources
for his old age.
For my part" said the colonel II be-
lieve in enjoying yourself while you are
young. l am only sixty-fve; why should /
stint myself now, in anticipation of old
age? Why, / have a splendid digestion, 1
enjoy everything that a well ordered mind
should contemplate, 1 sleep well and l am
SO afraid that l will miss a minute which
nil he or 11t11n6 fll1 of rnla hat
stay up as late as / can at night and get
up early in the morning.
''Sirs, life is a beautiful thing If you try
to extract the sweets as you go along. 1t is
a beautiful world, incomparably lovely in
all the different phases and moods of ma
ture, although l admit there are some disa-
greeable people in it,
I'm my salad days l was as eager for
the delights of life a school boy with
big orange. Ny elders said 1 would squeeze
the orange dry, but 1 never did. When l
do want to go hence to whatever place
the Master has provided.
"Sirs, l convinced that fortune loves
grateful man. He who takes delight In
the good things that Providence has placed
for will find them, and the supply will
not run out. l know man who is simply
skowered with opportunities for enjoyment
and pleasure, in the way of outings and
other good things, and it is simply because
he is so appreciatlVe of them and grateful
for his blessings.
1T is your churlish man who takes but
a nibble at the apple, who misses the fla
vor, and such a man soon finds the supply
of apples growing scarcer. l would rather
live my life when young, when one is fit
ted to get the greatest enjoyment out of it.
Old age is not the time for enjoyment. 1t
is the period of repentance. which often
times is more regret than real contriton."
Now, there l take issue with you," put
in the senator. I'm me you behold man
who regarded youth as but the preparation
for old age All my life l have looked for
n time when 7 pOn1d
work and enjoy leisure. 1t is a fearful
thing to live by the clock; to always have
that pitiless hour hand and minute hand
chasing you telling you to move on, ever
to move on. 1 would deny myself in the
days of my youth to make sure that
could defy the clock in my old age.
And, further, 1 do not agree with you
that the keenest enjoyment is that which
youth affords. To be sure, there is the zest
of youth, which can never be matched. But
is not appreciation more satisfactory in the
end than ZeSt? The youth thinks he is en-
joying life to the limit But when he
grows older, he finds ripper, fuller joys, be-
cause they are joys in which the intellect
shares as well as the physical man.
When l was a young man." continued
the senator. Il took pleasure In sitting up
half the night playing poker and drinking
whisky and water. 1t was done with a
Zest l grant you. But how much more
satisfying is it now to spend the same num-
Der of hours in my library, communing
with dear old friends that have graced the
shelves for years and mixing single hot
apple toddy for a nightcap?
Suppose you burn the candle out in your
youth. What then is left for enjoyment in
old age? You may sit in the ashes of your
dying life and try to kindle them into a
glow of recollection, to warm yourself by.
How much better to sit in the cheerful re-
Election of calm old age, the result of a
youth of moderation.
Well" rejoined the colonel, here is our
young friend here, let's leave it to him. He
seems to be tacklng the orange with a
pretty tight squeeze. Ask him which view
he favors. The fact that he seeks and en-
joys the company of two old codgers, such
as you ana l are, senator, indicates that
the lad is not without some discernment. l
say let's leave it to him..
But the young friend sidestepped and
leaves it to the reader