The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1905-08-31
No More Old Folks.

No More Old koIks.
Society has passed an unwitten
law abollshing old age. Unlike
many written laws IT. Is being en-
forced. Where is the veneabie grand
mother who used, In black dress and
cap, tn sit In the chimney corner
knitting chIldEens stockingsr Ar
rayed in beautiful pea green silk
gown and a lowered hat. her gray
hair done In naughty pompadour,
she Is out helping receive at fash
ionabie function or attending the lat
est musical comedy at the theater.
Where Is the lean and siippered
pantaloon' who used to spend the
long days, ''spectacles On nose and
pouch on side,'' summing himself on
the front porch or hobblinz about
the house and yard on Gamer file IL
down at the offiee or store working
as enereeticaIly and ambitiousIy As
he did twenty years ago. Or out at
tha ball game, cheering as Justify as
the nest vociferous small boy On the
| bleachers.
A writer I'm Scribner's recalls that
when Washington was 70 years old
he shrank from accepting the prcsi-
denev on the ground that he had
reached "the advanced season Of
life" Henry G. Davis was a quar-
ter century older than this when he
ran for vice presiednt. Some thought
Mr.. Davis bad reached ''the advanc-
ed season of life" and passed 1t, but
IL was impossible to niake him think
so.
When ftoude, the historian, was
elected rector OF 81. Andrews he re-
marked that the honor gave him
pleasure as a recognition OF what he
"had done. ''As we advance Ia
Iife," he said. 1.-THE question il no
longer whit we shall do" lie spoke
at 81 Ia the tone Of an old man.
Young manhood Uesd to end at 3o
and ola age for men began al Is. A
single woman vas an old maid at 2.
and 4 married woman thought at u
that age required her to begin To quIl
/ society aud make room for the
I younger generation. We have
&. changed all this. "A man IL nos
I young until he Is Is and middle aged
: the rest OF his life. spinsters doni
I become old maids any more. The,
- .,t.ks ..a.tt qf s.hs.x shaw b..z.<s....
bachelor maids. Married women ar,
young at 40. after which, like theiI
/, husbands after Is, they enjoy per
:, ennial middle age.
There may be persons scattered
here and there who regard them
selves as old and will submit &c b
banished, as the aged OF past genera
a tions were. from business, amuse
4 merits and society, but IL there b
y anF such their number Is small ans
u they are all we'll past the bibica
1 three score aud ten mark.
Is Prof. Shaler OF Harvard regard
the abolition of old age as a sign 0
% progress. Brutes aud sasages, as b.
points out, either kill their sgperan
), nuates or leave them TO starye
, On rising frum sayageFy 10 barhsf
- ism men set their aged As a elias
u apart aud revere them for their wis
=, dom and dignity IL Is mark Of Al
advance I'm civilization when the
are ''readopted into the association
IL and are allowed TO 30 along with th
er business Of life in the manner Q
DC other people =
D. They are allowed nowadays 10 9
De along not only With the business Q
u life, but also with It's enioyments
- and the sun OF human good and bs
nc man happiness is thereby great
ne increased. The utility and happ
co ness OF a life depends not on u
10 length bot OH its average breadth
notion the number OF years. but G
no the number Of its yeafs which al
at iIled with useful exertion aud inns
he cent pleasure. IL Is disputed whctl
ng er the average length OF life Is II
on creasing. That the abolition OF q
.er old fashioned ''oid age" Is ineFeasif
he the average breadth Of IL, seen
*. scarce open to question Selected