The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-01-27
eROM An OLD DCOUHTRY LADY
WISH I Vas. YOUNG AGAIN.

WISH WAS YOUNG AGAIN.
Wish 1 was young again. IEisb n
could feel Jolly and happy like / use
to see Bess; wish the little thinos In
lne could make me feel happy as
shey did her and does yet suppose.
But she tS tn o neEt Of her own NOW.
and her happiness fails to put new
ne - ::i0 a5 it dii in py-gone s,sys.
can NO longe~ hear her Jolly songs
anu see her bright face as she skips
httAer and thither, and many times
q good long dancing spell after the
postmaa had brought her q letter.
O. plain little letter from one Of her
cndms; some happy, frolicing girl
like herself whom the cares OF life
mad not yet fallen upon. Many times
nave seen her dance the front porch
until she was nearly frozen, then
come into my room and pile rugs and
Chairs in a corner then bring me TO
my feet and give q few swings that
would make my stir Joints feel as II
they would break, while she sang rag
time worse. than a boot-bfack. Yes.
she was young and happy and an CO.
ta1nist from the crown Of her head tor
the sole OF her feet, Of course an op.
thnist and happy as could be, moth
ing had ever come her way but the
good things OF life, aud there was
no need to feel the world was a
gloomy old place. Well, ana glad to
say that her young life was SO full
OF sunshine. am glad as can be
that the young can be happy over
little things, glad that all the first
few years require SO little to Bring
happiness, and sorry this 10y must
DE broken up for the want OF conf
dence, for surely 1t is for the want OF
confidence that we lose faith In our
friends. and then begin to. doubt them
and ere we reach middle age 1t takes
more than flattery and promise to
make US happy. Time and experience
are rigid tutors, and they play have
With me man or woman who cares
on,s for the dimsy things OF life.
Beng happy and jolly Is q good feel
ing to have, but IL IL isn't over the
useful thing5 OF life, the best in life,
We will shed tears of SORROW over
the things that once gave us the most
pleasure. For this reason we are
prone TO be pesstlnistic, we are tempt
ed to believe all things end in sor-
TOW, and after years and years OF
joys ending this wtAJS we old folks
scarcely expect anything but the
dark side. I'm often called an old
pessimigt, and 1t hurts my feeling, but
do You know am afraid in time mine
accu5ers will have a touch Of the
same bad feeling. AS we grow older
we are forced to see the world and
all nature in a digerent light from
that Of our young days. I'VE may try
with all our might to take more
hopeful view or our surroundings, bat
f1afnr-o iN,Q will ~
use to. have read OF several noted
authors who were forced in advanced
years to give up their werls because
they had become pessimistic; they
were nen ard women who had up to
fifty years OF age filled volume after
volume, the grsHdest' literary pro-
duction, but sc the first sign cS age.
lost their hold on cheerful views and
could write nothing but the gloomy
things in life, yet these same am
Rhors had lost none of their literary
knowledge; they had only reached
the age In life where the sun failed
20 shine as bright as 1t once did. They
did not mean to be pessimistic, but
they could no longer see the world
in the same bright light. We are
forced to this tendency to see more
darRness than light. Not only .ae
Ghors have this feeling but 1t is COM
lnon with ali OF Us after we have
passed the fifty mile post wouldn't
mind 1t SO much but i do not want
my friends 60 think Of me as an old
neessmist. I'm shre Twas as Jolly
and happy in my youth as any girl
you can find today. I'm sure 1t took
as little then tosmake me happy as
any girl now. I had all the confidence
and faith in humanity that ono could
have. / believed every word that
was told me. ] see now 1t WEB for
the want Of wisdom, but somehow I
wish this ignorance was mine today;
wish / could beIieye Ia everybody. !
think. It would bring peace and JOY.
The older We grow the more We dis
trust those about US, and fear the
fault Is mostly ours. Measuring
those about us by our own standard
never gives Satisfaction. Condemn
ing people only brings to 1igkt cur
own shoistcomings Isn't it pity we
can't. think OF this In time and save
druupie. niHPeJIiuB Iuiilsv vz Ssiiass
that we could not or would not 90
ourselves is no evidence OF goodness
mr. uAnarSin hoo often we ere unfair
when tisappoin ointmenfs come our way,
fail to do the right thing. know
/ didn't do my washer woman fiSnL
this morning, and I'm sorry for u.
am sorry / pitched ehe clothes right
ana LEFT when che brought them, but
Ahey were SO damp and dingy / hard
" knew what I wan doing. didn't
saw much. nothing only ! sEould pay
half price for the work; It was only
hnf done, and she should expect only
haIf nav. s, Maybe ] was right, but
had sou thought how many times We
fatI In ,,s,r dt,fy fail from pure neg