The Washington herald., 1908-05-17
THE USEFUL AGE.
when Do Men begin 10 Decline In
Power.

From Che Century
a distinguished citizen of the world a
man of extreme culture aud erudltion.
whose achievements and literary contrib
utions have intellectually enriched the
storehouse Of knowledge, not long ago
remarked in notable address TAKE
the sum Of human achievement. in ae-
tion, in science. in art. in literature; sub
tract the work Of the men above forty.
and while we should miss great treasures,
even priceless treasures, we would prac-
tically be where we are to-day It is
difficult to name a great and far-reach-
/ ing conquest of the mind which has not
been given to the world by man on
whose back the sun was still shining.
The effective. moving, vitalizing work of
the world is done between the ages OF
twenty-five and forty
| No more genial and kindly disposed
| person exists than Prof. Osler, the orig
inator Of these views. Love for his fell
lew-man and intense sympathy are his
( striking characteristics. Only the most
honest DeIief prompts every utterance Of
bis pen. Statements from such a source.
however startling or distasteful TO the
average reader. command an earnest
perusal, a close and searching investi-
CATION but not a blind acceptance.
! The sweeping and iconOclastic state
I meat of the brilliant saVant al first sight
would seem to discount temperament, ex-
! perience. accumulated learning, judg-
/ ment. discretion, maturity--all that go
/ to make the intellectual granite and mar
! bic Of the impressive and commanding
man OF middle age Impulse, initiative,
| adventure. rise to the acme Of desira-
bility and are the golden virtues 10 be
/ cultivated and apotheosized. Only fifteen
| years Of mental effort and the climax Is
reached. Then begins the ineYitable de-
| scent to oblivion and decay. Again It
would seem to indicate that all these vir-
| tues, desirable enough IN their place and
| time. are strictly and irrevocably limited
/ to a certain period of the human devel-
/ opment. Beyond this epochal deadline
! they cannot be found save in hOnumen-
! tai exceptions which are the wonder and
/ perpeXity of the hidebound scientist
/ Does history warrant or corroborate
such a conclusion? Most agsuredly not,
/ and doubtless II was far from the inten-
/ ton of the writer of the opening para
graph even 10 intimate as much. The
| record book of the world is replete with
! the opportunities and success of age and
/ experience. AS some one has said: The
| golden thread of youth is carried 10 a
much later period of life now than it was
! In former years" An Indian. chided for
being sixty, replied that the sixties con-
| Tin al the wisdom and experience Of
/ the twenties, thrties fOrties, and hfties
Yes. and some OF the Initiative, also. The
patriarch OF the Exodus. when an i'm
/ pulsive and immature man of forty
/ deemiug the hour had struck, took the
/ initiative IN his own hands, blundered
! through a misconception Of the times
and because Of his rash and inopp0rtune
murder Of the Egyptian brawier. was
| compelled to fee the land For forty
years he was immured IN the wilderness
OF INDIAN buffeted by wind and tempest,
exiled from human companionship,
gnawed at by conflicting mental emotions,
there 10 learn the secret Of self-control,
and through protracted communion with
nature to acquire the massveness and
! robustness Of character that were essen
! tial for his true work at eighty.