Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-22
ESSENTIAL AGE.
Men Are as Young or as Old as They
Want to Be.
From the Queen.

L am utterly incapable or giving suitable
names to dogs and other domestic animals,
and thus. while it was easy to name my
fox terrier Jill. because somebody else had
named her twin brother Jack, could think
of rotning for the kitten that had been
born on the same day, and she remains
russ. which anyhow is true, If not talented.
jill and PuSs were friends from the very
first, but Jill began to grow up the sooner.
and wanted to play with Puss while the
latter was still too wobbly to be capable Of
much leg exercise. Then she caught Jill up
in the matter OF essential age, and for six
months or so they were both children, and
used to play together till they were utterly
tired out, and lay down In Jill S basket all
inextrcabe mass of coiled and embracing
paws. Then JH'S essential age took an
other squirt; she suddenly discovered hat
she the sole and responsible head of
my establishment, and that everything had
to be done under her immediate supervision
She would see. that the fires were properly
laid in the morning: she sat on the edge of
my bath near the tap to make sure that the
water was running in as 1T ought to: she
hurried into the dining room TO see that
breakfast was nicely laid, and then rushed
out to bark at the tradesmen. Thus 1t WAS
hard to find time to play with Puss. Even
when she snatched few moments for this
she wore a preoccupied air. and would stop
suddenly. even while they were licking each
other in the face. to make sure that the
Puss' essential age had not moved though
as many days had passed over her sooty
head as over Jilrs white one.
Then JiH had a family Of puppies. and
perhaps this affected her brain; for. instead
of adding the cares of a matron to those Of
the discreet management of my house, she
became In a few months mere child again
Her family was in due course removed. but
she did not care; she wanted only to play,
and the housekeeping might go to rack and
ruin for all the attention she bestowed on
1t. Puss, of course, was delighted, ana all
that summer they raced over the garden
beds and played at being tigers In the grass
till exhaustion supervened.
Then. suddenly, the essential age of Puss
altered. Up till now she had been a kitten;
the clock had stood still for her. But
now the hands of 1t flew round so fast that
they were invisible, and in about week
she was a sedate. demure old lady, who,
one would say, had seen trouble. She cid
not want to play any more at all; she
slammed Jill on the face when the latter
attempted to. The two were born on the
same day, yet. except Tor few months,
they were never the same age. First jill
was old and then PuSs, and now Jill Is
dreadfully young.
The same disconcerung phenomenon ap-
pears in the ages of self and friends 10
measure age by years Is as completely OF
the point IL We tried to measure 1t by
inches. ana said that people six feet high
we're old and people four feet high were
young. For years have nothing to do with
essential age, the essential age OF every
body is tue age which he feels himself to
DE- Yet over this 1t is possible to fall into
a most ungraceful error: for ones age Is
the age which one feels. not-which Is far
different and yet so close-the age one
wishes to feel. and to attempt TO behave In
the manner of any age is a disastrous I'M
dertaking. Yet many do, and to attempt to
assume either age or youth without SINGER
ity to rack it Is as ridiculous as to attempt
to behave in the way that ones actual
wears indicate. For there Is nothing more
awful-the word Is used advisedly, as de-
noting that which moves pity and terror In
woman behaving In the manner OF the age
which they wish to be. grisly kitten
whfsks automatically about, with senility
and Cruel in its eyes. Or, on the other
side how equally dreadful 30 see some one
really young at heart apine the SLOW. gray
ity which conc, with essential years Fuss
anyhow with the frank sincerity o. an
animal does not attempt that. She may
wish to be young and l see vague Jealousy
IN her face when Jill challenges her 20 play;
but she will not be a grsly kitten, and
merely slaps Jtlls face. which SO few
months ago she used to lick in an ecstasy
of affection. External causes, a cold In the
head or typhoid fever, or, on the other
hand, a state of riotous health, may for the
time alter ones essential age, making one
older younger. as the case may De, ana
there is as far as l know, only one safe
guide as TO the fixing of ones essentia, age
The habit CT mind that looks forward into
the future is young: the habit that looks
back and muses. over the past and thinks
about last year is old. Those who do both
In roughly equal proportions are In the
prime of life, whatever number OF years
they may have lived.