The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-04-07
Duty 70 OLD FOLKS
DIFFERENCE FROM THE Chill
DREN % THEIR DUE.

rhoss Who Have for Lifetime Been
Eager Workers % Not Want -
Set With Their Hands
Folded.
There should not be any unhappy
old people. Age should bring its COM
pensations Of serenity and philosophy.
Az matter Of fact, however. the av-
erage old man or woman IL far from
content
The problem which confronts sons
and daughters In caring for their mar
ents IL grave one. Old age b sen-
sitive, and the feeling Of uselessness
hlls many an active soul with rest
lessness and discomfort.
Perhaps the greatest mistake that
IL made by young people IL that. In
their eagerness to relieve father and
mother or grandfather or grandmoth-
er OF burdens, they take away every
thing that makes life interesting.
Those who have, for q lifetime, been
eager workers do not want to sit with
their hands folded. and 90 1t often hap
pens that father butts into his sons
business affairs, and mother med
dies" with her daughters housekeep-
Ing. Then comes friction, and the son
or the daughter having shown plainly
that they desire no interference. can
not understand that, their rebuffs have
scared the souls Of the anxious. &C
tive old people.
1t IL always well. II possible, to
provide something for the aged to do.
II they can be made to feel that they
are helping. their satisfaction will be
supreme. II father has been a wise
hnancier. it surely cannot hurt his
son to talk over the affairs Of the
store or ONCE. II mother has been q
practical housekeeper, her daughter
need not be too "snippy'' to take ad-
vice.
One dear lady's daughter insisted
that she should sit with folded hands.
Then when the old face took on un-
happy. haggard lines, and the frail lit
tie body dropped, the anxious daugh-
ter asked the doctor. What's the mat
ter with herr"
He was BLUM old person and he
Numbered, Give her something to do:
she's pining for action"
But the maids don't like to have
anyone around the kitchen" the
daughter said.
Then let her 60 there when the
maids are out" the doctor suggested.
So on Thursday afternoons the dear
little lady cooked the dinners. The
whole family learned to look forward
to them. And the satisfaction that
mother got out Of that ono day in the
week lasted her through the other six.
She made chicken pies, and she
baked beans. she concocted sauces
and soups and gravies after old-fash-
toned recipes, and when they were
served she beamed across the table,
as II to say: Should be put on the
shelf when can cook like this?"
The duty Of children toward their
grandparents often forms Q great
problem, but believe that II there
II any question Of preference II IL the
grandparents who should have first
consideration. No child can be hurt
By being made to have an attitude Of
Difference toward the aged. Often, II
old people are eccentric, the children's
sympathies VIII be at once aroused II
we tell them grandfather has borne
30 many weary burdens" or grand
mother has had sorrows" On the 9th.
or hand. to say, Never mind, grand
father ID peculiar" or grandmother
IL fussy." will foster . contempt.
which will be evidenced by the child,s
manner.
To those Of us who grow impatient
with the faults of old age there viii
come . day Of reckoning. Some day
all Of us will be old. Do We wish our
children to treat us ~ we are treating
our parents! Would we be happy un-
der the circumstances with which W
have surrounded our aged father ana
mother?