The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-23
Friendship, the
Joy Of Old Age
BY EMIL FAGUET,
Member Of the French Academy.

Old age has its real joys which are
bad thing I do not want to appear
paradox when assert that the old
man or woman. with a good disposi-
ton. is more able than any body else
to enjoy friendship love and youth
Young people know something of
friendship. middle aged ones do not.
hut old people know it ,hroughly Ell
Friendship among the young is com
radeship, companionship hastily chosen,
more warm that deep, very capricious.
very changeablc and always with a
vague feeling that 1t is not going 10
last lonS, far less forever
Friendship between men OF mature
age does not exist. or is AT least a
thing SO rare. that IL need not be taken
into consideration at all. AT that age
q person has rivals, who arc some
tunes loyal, sometimes sympathetic and
Kind. of friends he has none, IL By
friends you understand people who take
pleasure in your success as in their own
and think of your walfare as of their
own.
Tho struggle for life makes such
thing impossible. because ii puts into
conflict with each other the Very pco-
pie who, because Of their common
tastes and efforts. ought 10 he friends
II is the age wien you have a vague
feeling Of distant friends who follow
Nomr doings with interest, in whom YOU
that YOU should Ignore. friends TO whom
frlen6s.''
Mature age knows no friendship. 1t
KNOWS only patrons or clients or GUS
patrons and clients. 'iIo is protected
ana protector he may be protected
without loss of dignity and act as pro-
tecior without mpi.dcnce. and. If so.
shadow Of friendship. but nevertheless
he remains dclicately protected and
protecting. while friendship is some
Thing far moro than that.
Tho old man knows friendship lie
knows the real. true friendshIn be-
cause lie receives disintercsted friend
ship and gives friendship that carries
With it no material advantages. Those
who are fond of him arc not counting
his protection. and nc neither seeks
protection nor gives II 10 those he
lust as a rich man never knows If he
is loved for his own sake and as the
rich young girl never knows If the
man who tells her he loves her, really
man and the poor man arc the only
friends are really their friends
am old, and therefore, if ANYBODY
cares for me as friend 1t can be only
because he is himself and am InySclf
Old men know this very well ana also
that friendship is not only ono OF their
consultations but also one OF their privI-
leGes. They love their old friends and
take a certain amount of interest but
whom YOU really do not know, and | (
perchancc you came to know them.
you caro- less for them. because YOU
have reason TO fear them. as they have
rcosont 10 fear YOU. They are friends
whom YOU Ignore and whom il is we'll
very often these are people of whom
10 whom they have been Indifferent in
middle age. and whom they have been
delighted To find again. when old They
love their young friends, who are not
many, 10 be sure, but who sometimes
come TO them and are always less dis
If The old men have nothing to give.
they are always able to teach them
something. -
These friendships OF the old. which
attach to them those who follow them
in life and those who go with them in
death. are absolutely pure; there is in
them no trace Of Selfishncss or calcu-
lation; thcy are their own cause and
their own goal. They arc all joy. ii
Roclicfo,icaul,l's words are true that
THE joy of love is to love"
Friendship Is o the old. the heart that
gives itself and demands nothing in
RETURN which loves to give itself. ana
preston OF an old man vino sees his
friend enter.
In his eyes you see neither the dane
ing flame of feminine passion. nor the
trembling water Of gratitude. sights
that are also Of heavenly origin. but
born and die.