The Washington herald., 1913-10-02
WOMAN AND THE HOME Jul. os.ss'.s 1sass By Man,
WHEN OUR POWERS
BEGIN TO WANE
1t Is Much More Pleasant to Retire,
If We Can, Before Rayages of
Age Force Us to a Back Seat.
BY FRANCES sHAFFER.

After Charlotte Brcnte had dropped
her masculine pen name and stood out
in the light of success in her own name
and after she had added to her first
glory by writing another story, she
paused for while, saying, Il have not
accumulated what makes it needful for
me to speak again. and, till I do, may
God give me grace TO be dumb"
Fortunately for her, she had spoken
to such good purpose that the gold was
still pouring in while she was praying
for ''grace to be dumb" And perhaps
with equal good fortune, since her life
was not Over-happy, she did not live
long enough that her literary strength
began TO wane. for when the pen was
snatched from her hand she was in the
very height of her powers. But it some
times happens that writer-folk must pray
for something more practical than grace
TO be silent when they have nothing
worth while to say-they must pray and
work for dollars to tide them over the
periods when genius refuses to burn and
to be put into beautiful words. For one
fanCies that the styles and the thoughts
Of the very best writer's become a bit
Snapidated at times; and when such
times come. as come they must, they do
well, if they can. to run to the woods
and remain in hiding.
For it is rather hard upon writer's to
try TO send out some sort of a message
when there is absolutely nothing crowd
ing for utteranCe, and one fancies that
often and often they would be quite con-
tent to rest upon past laurels If the
prosaic need for bread and butter, and
perhaps a bit of jam. did not loom so big
and insistent before them.
Don't Try to Hold on Too Long.
When that is the call that lures them
on. when they cannot attain the fine
craftsmanship of earlier days and when
they first begin to realize that the tickle
dispenser of smiles and of praise is
ready to pronounce their doom-well, it
is a pity they could not have run to
cover before the dread word was heard
For, If one can, II is much pleasanter
TO step of from ones throne while the
public is still clamoring for more than
TO wait for the fatal push that is more
or less inevitable if one tries to hold on
too long.
And perhaps the greater the height
the sorrier the tumble. For while the
public is always graciously fulsome when
1t Is minded to scatter its roses, it is no
less emphatic when it is ready TO call
them back.
And for me. I never listen TO one
Of our great artist-sinsers whose glorious
voice shows the first signs of weakening
may have the grace and the means 20
retire while still enjoying the sweets
Of fame without a hint of adverse Criti-
ism or an unwelcome suggestion that
her day is over.
II is said that the full-toned, bird
like voice of Jenny Lind, the .Swed-
ish Nightingale" was true to the last.
although she did not sing in public
after her fftieth birthday. And per-
haps it is because she had the grace to
retire while at the very zenith of her |
powers that the tributes one reads to !
this gracious singer of other days are |
sn redoleint OF the fragrance and charm |
that passed from her to her delighted
listeners. And perhaps that is one of the
reasons We wish that the voice of that
sWeet-throated artist might have been
rauEht by the delicate hand of science !
and preserved for us and for unborn
generations to hear.
Strikes Plain ToiIers, Too.
But. after all. it is not upon the
genuine artists that the evil day of wan
ing powers strikes the hardest blows.
but rather upon the plain toilers in the
fields of life, who come to the parting |
of the ways where earning capacity be- |
gins to fade away.
And it comes rather early for some of
the toilers. Eyes have Al ay Of failing
" men lLltN lt uctNtu Nitt most. NdnuS
grow weak while Yet their strength is
required and the worn-Out mind loses the
freshness that stirred it in younger days. |
And then? Well. there is something 4
more than smile in the spectacle of /
a man who dyes his hair and tries to |
coax back the appearance of youth,
that the work-a-day world may not sus-
peCt that the best of his energies
rest back in the past. Or the sight of
a woman who valiantly endeavors TO
push aside the ravages of time because
she is fearful that they may hasten the
day Of enforced retirement.
Indeed, they are not the ones who
pray for grace to be dumb" rather
for strength TO go on with their labors.
1t is never pleasant TO be obliged to
admit TO oneself. no matter where ones
lot is cast. that the days of best use
fuIness and mightiest welcome are over
in a world that makes no kindly allow
ances.
But for some happy folk there is solace
in the thought that among tried friends
and kinfolk the time never comes when
the world "welCome' is outworn.
HcuutifYinE the Bath Towel