Evening journal., 1911-10-30
When a Man is
Old and in the
Way;
THEN WHAT?

support the ones whom they hold dear;
the ones who are their all; the ones
who occupy the most sacred chamber
Of their hearts.
The man may be an ordinary labor
er. or lie may be a prosperous busi-
ness man. Be that as IL may, he tolls
that he may maintain respectable
/ home; he tolls that his children may
/ receive as thorough an education as
his means Will permit; he tolls that
they many maintain as high posi-
/ ton, socially, as possible. He strives
to give his children every advantage,
In order that they may be able to cope
with the tasks that the world has IN
store for them. This he does in times
OF prosperity. This he does in times
of adversely.
Circumstances may arise that cause
his whole being; mind body and soul,
to cry out In agony, but still he main
tains an outward cheerfulness. and
endeavors TO lift the burden Of sor-
row from the shoulders of his family.
He endures pain I'm silence. He meets
failure with a smile. He starts anew.
He grapples with disappointment after
disappointment. in silence. in order
that his loved ones may not be bur-
dened with his troubles. He arrives
home after a hard days toll and is
called upon to sympathize with
Frances, over a broken doll; with
Dick, over a bruised nose; with Molly,
over a burnt finger, and finally, with
his wife, over the snub she was sub-
jected to, by Mrs. Smith next door.
All this he does, day after day, month
after month. and year after year.
Finally Mabel, Dick and Frances
become entangled In the meshes %
matrimony. They marry; depart from
the old homestead, and the old folks
are just where they started, with only
themselves to enliven the parlor, the
den and the orchard. And. that isn't
all. The climax Is reached when the
dear old soul who gave birth to the
children. has departed TO her Eternal
reward The father is left alone. lie
isn't physically able 10 support hinl-
self Frances husband doesn't want
him around. because he is meddle-
some Molly's husband doesn't want
him. because he Is too great care.
Dicks wife doesn't want him, because
he is In the way. She hasn't time to
look after him. with Dick, Jr., arous-
ing the neighborhood over his eye
teeth, and little Carrie falling down
stairs and rubbing the skin of her
shins
Yes, that's the climax. What is he to
do? There remains the aims house as a
final resort. The old man is crushed
He prays for death, in order that he
may join his help-meet. The ones for
whom he has labored, do not want
him. It Is true: He Is old and In the
Way"
= AS we walk through the street, how
often we meet
, Some poor old man. whose life Il
n naught but woe;
With age his form is bent, In nj
:, pockets not cent.
And for shelter he knows not wherl
. to go.
: His relations by the score, would turf
t him from the door,
o And meeting him In the street woulI
Q pass him by.
n II you ask him why It's done. he will
|. answer you and say;
n I'm poor and old, and only in the way
|. So let us cheer them on, they won
+ be with us long,
- Don't let us sneer because they're ole
s and gray,
: But remember while we're young, thai
: the day to US may come,
s When we'll be "Old and only in tn
a way"
!. There was a time. hear. when tn
e young we're not so queer,
r But since that time has come
a mighty change.
Young men in health and might tnei
old parents they do strike,
! For II happens every day, It's notnlni
, strange.
children him do spurn,
e And for death he often times dot
- pray.
And faithful man and wife, after toll
y ing all their life,
n When old, they find they're only In IN
I" way.
This is indeed, a problem worthy o
a our consideration. and a solution
% seems 10 have been reached by SOM
of the people In at least one OF tn
s. states OF our fair land. | refer q
:; the Red Mems Fraternal Home, Inc
is located in Newark, Del Some OF tn
"a prominent Red Men in Delaware, be
"a gan TO agitate the founding Of
ID home OF this kind In 1895. feelin
that the inspirational spirit Of tn
a Improved Order OF Red Men Is .
er emulate the principles, practice tn
virtues, follow the examples and pei
petuate the customs and habits of tn
al primitive Red Men Of the America
forests, and knowing that suprem
ne respect and sacred veneration fc
Ell their aged and infrm chiefs was chal
acteristically prominent among Ii
primitive Red Men. as just rewar
for duty. and likewise knowing thu
X, with the passing Of each year. II
number OF aged and decrepit member
Of the order would naturally increas
L. until a maximum would have bee
re reached, they felt that the principle
ly expressed in their motto: Freedor
~. Friendship and Charity, would be we
OF and fittingly exempliied by providir
nd some means whereby such aged, Il
ew digent and infirm members land the
en- wives) could be Freed" from q
ars embarrassments with which they we
a no longer able to contend. and wi
ter Friendship" be safely retained with
ND the ranks Of the order, and wi
cal Charity" be placed beyond the conc
Nu. tion OF pauperism. by securing +
ted them the comforts Of home, whi
hey passing down the declivity of life.
oc- The ideas Of these men we're ca