The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-09-12
ARE you
AFRAID7

that in the west we worship youth. In
the east they worship age.
ITO an oriental it seems truly mon
strous that grown up children should
not live with their father, mother and
grand parents and suppoet and love
them.
In this country we seem to take care
OF our old people as a duty rather than
as a pleasure.
Thus it happens that many of Us
fear age and fight IL of with terror
born Of our distrust Of the future.
While It Is not well 70 talk over
that which IL past and which cannot
be helped, I think that In many In
stances, old people recognize that It
is because they did not demand rever-
ence Of their children that they are
treated inconsiderately when they are
heavy with years.
The child who IL taught to be de-
ferential to his grandmother and
grandfather Will, IN his manhood never
forget the courtesy which belongs to
his father and mother.
! knew a young mother who allowed
her little boy to treat his grand.
mother with extreme rudeness. She
Is now q grandmother herself and the
tyranny which her son and her grand
children exert over her IL the result
and perhaps the punishment Of the
way which she allowed her own child
to treat his grandmother.
While this may be an exceptional
case and the fear which many Of Us
have may be unfounded. yet 1t Is well
to discover how to prepare ourselves
for a time when we shall have neither
youth nor beauty nor enthusiasm to
commend US to others.
1t is the serene, gracious and clever
old people who are sought after ana
who never lose their place in the So
cial life of the family. The Ill temper
ed, narrow and complaining are never
welcome. Hence those who are afraid
to grow old should see first to their
tempers and after that to their
tongues. To say unpleasant things, to
force unwelcome opinions upon others.
Is to be disliked.
I know a rich young woman who Is
afraid Of the future.
Everybody wants my money" che
says. What will / do when I am SO
old that they can get it from me?"
She doesn't give human nature credit
for genuine good heartedness. She Is
afraid to grow old because she looks
at the world through cynical eyes.
She does not believe that people are
kind and considerate. Perhaps. In
way, she Is right. Yet am sure that
If she looks for kindness she will find
1t, and she may surround herself with
friends who are not mercenary, If she
has discrimination and love OF her
own kind.
A poor spinster of my acquaintance
breads old age because she has no one
to take care of her. Yet her life has
been a selfish life. She has never
given compassion or consideration to
others. Years ago she might have
made hersely necessary In the homes
of many people. She might have gone
TO one of her sisters-in Law and have
said: IF you will give me my living
and a small allowance ! will take the
entire burden of the housekeeping
upon myself" She might have thus
made for herself a niche from which
1t would not have been easy to dis
lodge her.
The people who fear old age most
are those who have not made friends,
who have not won the love of their
children, who have not done their full
duty to others. OF course, there are
cases, pitiful cases. where
worthy men and women have had
tragic experiences Perhaps the best
Of ourselves as old. / do not mean
that we should ape youthfulness, but
that we need not let ourselves down
because a few years have been added
to our lives. An energetic old man,
the busy old lady, how the world
loves them A grandmother who
mends stockings and helps put up the
preserves is, as a rule, the beloved
grandmother. The grandfather who
goes fishing with the boys and carves
dou furniture for the girls is the ador-
ed grandfather.
The world has no place for fussy,
old people. The sunny
hearted need have no fear, and need
have no terrors for those who look at
ths World through rose colored glasses,