The Washington herald., 1907-10-05
FROM WOMAN'S
POINT OF VTEW

Despite the sneers and ridicule OF old
fashioned people the ranks Of those who
ignore birthdays are steadily swelling
and according 10 reliable testimony there
I is an excellent reason for il. There stnl
exists a prejudice against middle-aged
workers IN every line. and the man or
woman who happens TO have retained a
young heart through the accumulation
Of years Is ridiculed for attempting 10
keep up to date by learning new and diff
ferent arts. II requires q great deal OF
courage to pass over such annoyances,
and since sensitive natures are in the
majority, it IS only natural that humanity
should cast about for some means Of
! protection.
Nobody really questions the right Of
any human being 10 live as he or she
pleases. provided the laws are observed
II a woman has ambitions which age
cannot wither. she has every right TO pur-
sue them 10 the legitimate end and ig-
more the years as she pleases. II she
sees no way Of attaining financial sue
cess OF obtaining long -wished-for ac-
complishments till she reaches middle
life or later. she is justified In taking up
any pursuit then, but she must either
submit 10 a storm OF Tidicule and censure
or take refuge under a scheme that ig-
nores birthdays. Who IS more com
petent TO decide the question than the
person most deeply interested?
4 handsome woman who refused 10
grow old went from a small Eastern CITY.
where tabs are kept upon birthdays. TO
large Western center. where broader
interests occupied public attention. She
went as a bride 10 a beautiful home and
a social position that made her envied
. by her former acquaintance She had
beauty, accomplishments. apparent youth.
and clevernesS, the last-named quality
so strongly developed that she was able
20 put down all belief in the stories of
age which were regularly sent from her
native city by meddIerS.
She told no falsehoods. but gave no sat
isfaction to any possible curiosity that
existed. She was the personifcation of
youth-in appearance. in heart. and in
manner-and that was ali that was asked
OF her by her associates. Back in the IT.
tie city her schooimates grew old and
settled down into the dullness Of acknowl-
edged old age through lack OF ambition
ana interest in the worlds progress. and
they never forgave her for refusing to
bear them company on the road.
Her yearly visits to her parents were
figurative bombs in the ranks by rea-
son Of her perennial youth and its ap-
parent advantages. but nobody attempted
10 initiate her. The women who had al
lowed the fire of youth to die out in their
hearts were satisfied 10 vent their envy
in unpleasant remarks which probably
never reached the ears Of the visitors
because she lived above the plane Of gos-
sip II is universally conceded that gos-
sip is the pastime of small minds, YOU
know, and woman of small mind can
not possibly keep abreast Of the times.
1 heard a sour-faced seamstress discuss
ing a schoolmate with the woman who
shared her seat in a railway coach. She
seemed TO take as a personal grievance
the fact that an unmarried woman Of her
own age should elect to seek the COM
panionship of young people with whom
she was evidently very popular. These
companions ignored the question OF age
II II was ever mentioned to them. in re-
gard to their favorite, and because she
was having a pleasant time in life while
soured matron was not. two tongues
wagged rapidly and vindictively, and il
is to be presumed that they are not the
only ones Probably youth will never
be able to understand why their elders
continue to be active and evince a de-
termination to manage their own affairs
but a better comprehension Is expected
of members Of the older class An active
old man of e!ghtyodd years Is giving
considerable anxiety to his grandchildren
because he refuses TO be treated Ike a
child; but is he not justified in his course ,
BETTY BRADEEN.