The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-12

Otncr runners Or 10 Is WISH THEM Well. ITO 4
needs all his breath for his own race.
When no has come In, and put on his
coat, having won or lost. but all the
more II he has won his prize, he stands
by to applaud the painting runners AZ
they pass the goal, the goal he has all
ready passed, Renun had all his life
prded himself upon not pushing but
preserving camness amid LIES snercest
fight. 'Ir man ahoves me" he used
to say. II gay pass. Monsieur and It
IS not wonderful that as he grew old Y
he was entirely satisfied. Ills lnim
patred curiosity continued 20 interro-,e
gate the universe" hut he was full of
rcBf. iln e,Iffrrsd fertility bu ne never
complained. He was dying. but he had
not abdlcatcd. II have done my work.
he said to Madame Renan. II die happy
This mood Of satisfaction with life be-
gins at middle age, and Is connected
with delight In younger people. ''My
ideal" to quote Renan again, would be
an old patrarchal country house, full OF
children singing full Of lads and lasses
light Of heart, where every one would
cat and be merry at my expense
Altruisrn al
When one has had hts fiji Of work, and
has had some mo derate reward he wishes
the younger men coming UP behind him
to have their share Of things. and earn
their wages. This Is not so much charity
on his part, It is Justice. 1t is not to
be ascribed to religion, but TO middle
age. 1t Is the retired state OF mind.
It Is the outlook from the shadow OF
the trees. 1t is the good nature Of achieve
ment.
And SO comes another mood. which one
may call altIlisnl. or living for other
people The middle-aged man Cor wo-
mani lives not for herself but for his
children. He does not care what men
say about him, but he is desperately con-
cerned about their judgment on his sons.
II some one praises the boy, the father
Is lifted for days. II they run the boy
down, the father is cut to the heart.
He boasts about his son's success, he
tries TO cover his SON defeat, he would
willingly pass on his own gain toths
boy and bear his boys suffering. He has
died to himself and is alive again. In
his family and ifshe is spared to- DO
grandfather he Grows preposte rous !, IN
hisgpridc over that child, and his admit
ration OF all its dolngs. No doubt there
is such a. thing as a5sdIsappointed and
bitter middle age, when men profess
to have seen the end Of all perfection,
and to believe neither In man nor woman.
There was an old PRAYER. Lord preserve
me from young jrdge. and one 4ex-
poets an old judge to he broad In charity
and pltful towards humanity, but there
are old men who spend the last quarter
OF theirlives In earning and complaining,
in sneerlng and d'scouragng. This Is the
npproblum of middle age but when one
sees this ungracious spectacle, let him
he pitlful. for the man has most likely
failed. Tie has been q victim Of circum-
stances or PERHAPS his own enemy. lie
has never reached the crest Of the hill;
he has never passed the goal post I, he has
been trodden underfoot. And now he has
heen trodden undrfoot. And now he has
vendetta against the young who are
fun Of hope, because they mock him.
against those who have succeeded, be-
cause he thinks II has been at his ex-
nense. and againsE human life, because
II has been such deceit and nockery.
Pardon his sourness, he Is one of .he
failures Of humanity. fruit which has
never ripened Deal gently with him. And
turn to that big hearted man who did
great things In his day. and now Is
ready to lend n hand to every straRgler.
| and to glyo a cheer to every winner
who wishes we'll to all men In their
place, and blesses God that life on tina
whole has been so kind to him, and that
the hest OF It Is vet to come when the
! sun, already beginning to sink, will set
| gloriously behind the Western hills.