The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1907-01-25
GROWING OLD GRACEFULLY.


Presbyterian divine, in an article up
on Growing Old Gracefully" cited the
following incidents and comments:
There lately passed away an aged
man. born in Washington, but living
long and public life in Boston, and
so placed as TO take. necessarily, his
share in the conflicts OF view and
feeling of which it was long the cen
ire. Withdrawn from public life he
came to New York 10 live. He did
not lose his interest in il. No longer
securing the attention of the com
munity, he never was the sharp critic
Of those who now fill the public eye
Gentle. genial. Considerate 20 men un-
known and unborn when he was al
the height of his fame. he appreciat-
ed a common civility as it were a IA.
vOr, and in absolute lack of self-con-
seriousness drew all hearts to him
But for the careful step and slower
speech his years would have been
forgotten in his calm. sympathetic en-
jOyment of the present and the hope
full outlook on the future. He grew
old gracefully.
Men of mark often fail in this re-
gard. They were men of genius in
their time. but they are all gone now.
They used TO have courage. piety and
wisdom. Alas, alas, they have de-
parted
Fled 10 british beasts,
And men have lost their reason
Thus they criticise, find fault. COM
plain, belittle, and scatter the seeds
Of general discomfort. so that their
departure awakens little real sorrow.
One feels relief on their account.
7 ney have escaped from a degenerate
age.
We know many persons who sin
cercly believes that there are no great
men now. Had You seen or heard
General Jones. sir. in parish OF Old
Court i'll Virginia, or Lawyer Smith
up in Vermont. or DR.. Brown ND in
Ulster, or the Rev. Duncan Mcleod
in Aberdeenshire. as they did when
they We're young. you would have
known what talent genius. ability
mean. Alas, there's melancholy
change. But where? In themselves
lhese exalted heroes were then very
high above them, and impressed them
accordingly. They have themselves
risen somewhat. Distance no longer
lends such enchantment 10 The view
They are less impressible now than
tn"y were then. Smiths and JOneses
and Browns. and the rest are now
making just the like Impressions on
young people. in parishes. courts and
congregations. and will be lamented
or fifty years.
Il mind the first sermon YOU
preached said worthy man to me
today. Il recOllect the chapter and
verse" and he quoted them. and the
words. oh, that was a" we need
not fill up space with the words.
was then at the ripe age of two ana
twenty. and he was eight or nine
years younger. preached many
am afraid he has forgotten them.
and now ne does not hear me at all.
Alas, what pity il is that We can
not retain the sweet simplicity Of
youth. to which men are demi-gods
and women angels,
Then what can we do now 10 help
Us grow old gracefully? First of all.
get information. or better still, cul-
cultivate the habit of getting it "all
the time" This will keep the world
fresh and new TO you. Exercise your
memory. Cannot you remember
when You played pins at HalIow-
eve. shot marbles in summer. spun
tops, flew kites? Well, my dear sir.
there are many millions Of the race
just in that stage new. There are
improvements in the gamds: but the
players are just the same. Maintain
sweet reasOnableneSS." Allow for
the changes in yourself Make this
your habit YOu used TO get lam"
on your bread. II is preserves
now. and just as good as the jam
better possibly-thOugh it does not
affect You as much You have chang
ed little
Let that habit OF mind grow and go
with you. and-althOugh you may not
talk much about il in general com
pany-cet the good hope, on good.
adequate grounds, or something Still
better before YOU. and you will make
aborti,o efforts TO look young when
YOU are old. nor fret over the ineyi-
table traces Of the years. nor murmur.
nor srumb!e. nor carry around an at
moSnhee Of discomfort. You will.
when aSe comes. accept the situation.