The herald., 1914-01-01
AN AGE LIMIT,

AS matter Of fact. will go further. and
say that in real life II ever detected any
such symptoms Of belated amativeness in
my mother or an elderly auE; / should
feel II a family duty to consult an alienist
Immediately Just fancy IL you were
young fellow of twenty-rour or five. hav-
ing to sit by and watch your own mother.
aged forty-eight, carry on like an eighteen
year-Old girl-your mother. whom you have
localized in a thousand ways as only
son can idealize! Fancy your widowed or
spinster aunt whom from tender childhood
you have revered as the repository of all
wisdom and prudence. the aunt whom
next to your mother you have always
looked upon as your guide. philosopher and
friend-fancy her II you please in the I'M
dignlGi lied and unseemly attitude Of SPOON
ing"
You laugh and shake your head. Can
you imagine It? OF course you can't. That
is. unless you are one OF the unfortunates
who have had this bitter trial to contend
with IN the bosom Of their own families
That not being the case. it appears as
great joke to youths pathetic exhibition
OF autumnaI sentimentality. And yet If
you will but stop a moment you will recol-
lect that every one Of these foolish middle
aged sirens is somebody's mother. some
body's venerable aunt Indeed. quite as
somebody's grandaunt.
A great deal is written and preached
nowadays about the so-called folly of
growing old. Men and women are taught
that they can cheat time. they are taught
that by denying the reality Of wrinkles
and crows feet and gray hair and stiffen-
ing joints they can play a scurvy trick on
old age. And not only that. they are like
wise taught that they can by force OF will
keep young in their emotions
Everywhere one goes one not only sees
men and women incorporating in guises
calculated to make them look twenty-five
years younger than they really are. but
conducting themselves as II they emotion
ally registered sixteen summers Instead Of
thrice that number OF winters.
1t Is such persons as these. 1t is the Mrs
Howards and Mrs Brintons of real life
who are responsible for the monstrous the
DRY that there is any other age for mar
rage save the age of pink cheeks and soft
glances and slender. delicate lines and the
capacity for dreaming and idealizing
which Is the spiritual accompaniment of
these physical qualities. 1t Is the Chris
topher Dsllases. the John Strongs. the
Patrick Doyles. the Amos Thomases Of
real lie who. would arrogate to them
selves the pI,rogatives Of the youthful
lover.
That the world is full of them viii
and cannot deny. Wherever one goes one is
confronted with the elderly beau trying
20 play the youths part And am
bound to say that he carries the part off
very well indeed. Almost as well. in fact
as does the woman.
But the day o: reckoning is as sure to
come In real life as II does in the play.
but with this distinction. Whereas. IN the
play. the elderly lovers discover their
in time and are prepared 20 face
he situation as It really is. in real life
'hings are not likely to end so happily. In
-ea! life. alas. a woman Is as old as she
ooks, and that. alas again. Is often very
Id indeed. In real life a man is also not |
only as old as he looks. but as old as he |
FEELS into the bargain. the sum total Of
"hich with most OF Is approxima,es the |
lge Of Methuselah
How idle It is for either men or wom-
n with youth behind them to imagine |
hat they can find any happiness married \
which they cannot find by remaining Just
rood friends. For while ! am uualterab!y |
'rejudiced against the possibility of any
ea love affair between elderly men anI I
women. i am strong believer in the
possibilities % beautiful AID I4st. |
between such
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