The Washington herald., 1909-05-26
FROM WOMARS
POINT OF VIEW

I have never met a man or woman who
was coatent 70 pass into old ag@recon-
ciled We all must be. but that Is quite g
different matter Yet old age. ike most
other disagreeables in life, can be met
/ with fair degree OF cheerfulness and
made TO yield some measure OF comfort
and happiness There is buI one real way
OF meeting il. not with defiance and re-
bellion, not with meekness, but with a
good hard chase with victory hardly won
in the end by a force we cannot perpet-
ually evade.
Il IS the fashion nowadays % avoid
thoughts OF old age, 70 plan as Z youth
were perennial. TO forget birthdays alto
gethe- OF celebrate the day as one does
Chrlstmas-without q thought OF numbers
and keep Up with the march OF time
Up-to-date thoughts and actions are fine
weapons, and a youthful heart IS the
most stubborn foe Father Time has 10
fight There is al advantage in q large
family OF children-parents forget them
selves while planning for boys and girls.
When fathers and mothers are real com
panicns 10 their offspring they keep
young and are almost able 20 convince
the world that they have been passed By
IN the matter OF years
I was shocked recently By hearing 2
woman Of my acquaintance spoken Of as
old Mrs Brown Z never thought Of her
as old" I argued But she told ne that
she had passed her sevenLath birthday"
said my visitor with a surprised air. 1
had never connected the idea OF age with
Mrs Brown because ste had married
sons and daughters. and they were a big.
happy family. the parents sharing in all
the pleasures OF the young people. They
were distinctly modern n thought and
full OF enthusiasm. and with the power OF
enjoyment unbIunted. Gray hair did not
count against such al array Of youthful
attributes. and Il was a BIZ OF careless
ness for Mrs. Brown 10 tell her age
Hereafter shall think Of i when I meet
her.
There really ought 20 be some pro
vision made for the years when dancing
and other vigorous amusements cease TO
attract A taste Of sociablity should Be
cultivated with a liking for reading OF q
more solid nature than the modern novel.
an not crying down light reading mat
ter. for believe it has a place in life. but
Il should not be the only literary food CT
even share honOrs with the daily news
paper There are fascinating tales OF
travel, stories Of the historical class and
standard works BY men and women who
should never be forgotten
The mind fed principally upon sensa-
tional and trashy novels is not whole
some. You rarely find an inveterate
nOvel-reader who is not bitter OF cynical
II nature. suspicious and resentful. sub
teet 70 moods and difficult 70 I've with.
Having no mind sweeteners they cannot
be desirable friends. neighbors OF ac-
quaintances. since sordid or common
place matters are all they are able 10
discuss Reading is a source Of the keen
est enjoyment 70 stay-at-homcs or shut
ins, especially when the taste has been
refined or was good IN the beginnszS.
Public libraries have allowed waEe-earn-
ers TO oT@n the good works. which used
20 be beyond their reach The children
who are growing I'd ought 10 reap the
benefit, but the taste for trashy reading
IS a menace TO the development Of youth
ful minds. There Is grave fault some
where. BETTY BKADEEN.