The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-06
MARRIED COUPLES
 SHOULD "GO" SOCIALLY

man at 43 is merely stepping over the border of middle-age. He has not gone beyond its outer edge. He Is still a young man and in courting a girl of 1s he has no reasonto fear being displaced by c youth of 8 or 2l. And yet IS is the rosebud season of sweetest youth. and a girl at that age has not 90 much as tasted the brim of the cup of social pleasure which is familiar to her ma turer suitor. He may we'll have grown tired of 1t. He may easily be blase. His ideal of married joy will of neees- sity be somewhat different from hers. He wants to settle down. She has hardl ytried her wings. In ten or hf- teen years, while she is still young, he will imperceptibly have drifted into the ranks of the veterans. If the disparity Is on the other side. and q youth of 21 or 22 marries an agreeable and charm ing woman of 70. 1t Is almost fore gone conclusion that they will sooner or later Ind themselves In divergence. No man likes to go about with q wife | who may be mistaken for his mother. Beyond the superficial differences. there may come other and more vital occa- sions for the little rift that Is to be dreaded.
 Such couples will either abandon so- ciety or seek 1t in independence. Pos sfbly there may strike them that fatal blight when home Is a weariness ennui drops like a cloud over everything and life hardly seems to be worth living. The probabilities of lasting happiness are much greater. when people are on the same plane as to age than when there is very decided disparity.
 If people marry rather late in life this danger is somewhat lessened. A woman approaching the meridian of 40 need not fear to trust herself to the care and companionship of a man IS or 20 years her senior. They will very likely enjoy the same things, and have ideals in common.
 In Lady Roses Daughter there is a charming old gentleman, Lord Lack ington. who enjoys society with the zest of his early manhood. and Is really younger in spirit than his commonplace sons. We sometimes find the buoyancy of youth masquerading and lingering under white hair, but this cannot be counted upon. When 1t comes 1t is all the more delightful because it is excep- tional
 To give up society too soon is to shut ourselves out from some of the most potential and bracing influences that act upon character. We discount our natural laziness when we take the trouble to make a toilet at the close of the day. Many man ana WOfnan slouches straight into old age merely because he or she goes lolling round in old clothes without taking the trouble to dress becomingly. It Is always worth while to look ones best.
 Nobody goes to a party or a recep- tion in a dowdy frock or crumpled coat if 1t can be helped. When we put on good clothes we put on good man. ners, too. and 1t is distinctly elevating to have 0 little ceremony in our con- versation and to take pains to be agree able, to pay compliments and to tell a good story.
 The friction that we get by being in the company of others saves our minds from rust The brain that is most used lasts longest. Atrophe destroys as swiftly and certainly as overwork. If we would be mentally and intellec- tualy alert all our days. we must not be hermits: we must meet people. sit at other tables than our own, and give as we'll as receive inspiration and stimulus.