The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-04
LOST YOUTH.
Tragedy Of the Philosophers First
Recognition Of Advancing Years.

heCOB MUM u ADVANCING Aeors.
To u EDITOR or THE SuS-Sb:
had hoped to grow old slowly and philo-
s~ophically, but this solace has been de-
MED me. Old age Is bad enough in IT.
self. but when a man IL pushed into II
untimely by the wife OF his bosom II
becvmes a tragedy. indeed. Perhaps my
experience may be a warning to the
youthfuily wise.
on the ninth DAY Of last Septeu Der
my outlook upon life changed. on
the morning of that u~nforgettaole day
awoke with the sun streaming brilliantly
across the foot of my bed. Far away.
through the open window. the green
fas,ness OF Poplar Ridge doomed in bcld
outlines against the sky. Truly. It ras
an inspiring morning.
Hurriedly dressing. I went down 70
the breakfast table and greeted my
wife cheerily.
let us spend the day at Round
Knob" | said I'VE haven't been on;
there in years. We'll TAKE our lunch
and get back when We please"
splendid :" she cried enthusiastically
"Ill be ready to start in an hour"
And. somewhat to my surprise. she
was.
When J came IN from the garden I
found a large market basket on the
kitchen table. Its dimensions surprised
me IL seemed altogether % cumher-
some for a gay holiday excursion.
Are we to entertain the neishbor-
hoody' I inquired curlously.
Never mind" she answered some
what indiferently i've packed only
what's necessary"
Lifting one OF the double covers. I
peered within. Hail the basket on
ta!ned food. there could be no doubt Of
that. But beneath the other cover was
a bundle OF wearing apparel. Tugging
at a heavy earnent, I unearthed, to my
utter Amusement. my raincoat ard
rubbers.
Walking to the door, 7 looked MP at
the sky. Not n cloud obsrurei the tran
quill blue. A fragrant breeze arifted in
from the apple orchard the dew sim
sparkled on the grass the smoke from
weaving line spider flaments fioated
In tho air. Everything denoted a pro-
longed dry spell. Naturally / was some
what perplexed. Why my raincoat and
rubbers on a day like this? Had Prov.-
dence given to my devoted wife certain
occult powers denied to omrson NOR
tails? Was she. in fact, a sort of min
sorceress? II so. why had shs not told
me about Il?
And then, quite suddenly. the horrible
truth dawned upon me, the terrible Sig
nifS>ance OF this elaborate. ridiculous
~precau;ion. In the nash OF an eye I
saw how my wife had interpreted the
changes wrought by the recent years.
the gray about my temples, the slight
touches OF rheumatism that occasionally
plagued me, the disappearance of me- ny
Of my spontaneous enthusiasts.
To her. I was growing old To her,
7 had entered upon that sonbre period
OF life when a married man requires the
care and attention of his doting wife
lest he faA a victim to the slightest
change OF wind or weather.
For a moment | was stricken dumb.
A flood OF memories overwhelmed the. I
recalled tho days when ] had courted
the woman who now stood. demure and
silent, before me- ! saw the little
granite church in which We were mar
red and heard again the solemn. haunt
Ing music. And then. In swift rcrieN,
trooped by those happy months that i'm
mediately slowed during which ! had
INDUCED my wife IN most of her wilkins
and fancies and esperlally-ecol that
! was in her playful role OF guardian
OF my health. a role hat had seemed
TO me peculiarly cha ming because sire
was ten years younger than ] INC rather
'llIflAlluA'Nt III NAtNLf l'H s'hiE
Younger. Never before hal I even
dreamed % the bitter tragedy hidden in
those fateful years.
An. yes how quaint and tender
seemed her solicitude then, But TO v.
why. ! could scarcely conceive of any
thing more darkly sinister.
with a revulsion of feeling impossible
to describe, | stood ~motionless. sternly
surveying the humble articles Of r2N
wearing apparel that never before had
caused me a single pang. hut which
were now converted before my very eye.
into mute. hooking witnesses ~ my phys
ical decline | tined 10 consider &, a
laughing matter. hut In vain. ! stIove
TO see IN. humor Of the situation. the
spectacle OF my raIncoat J. rub ers
packed in a lunch basket that ! WAS
expected - carry for miles over .
broken country on one OF the ft4reSt
days | had ever knonn. But ! couldn't.
To ne. il was one OF the most solemn
moments OF my life.
With "A great effort I gathered myself
together. AND turning 20 my wife
pointed an accusing finger al the ac-
cursed basket.
Where" ! demanded. is the wheel
chair
There was a vague hope in my heart
that she might inquire | meant.
Gladly would | have forgiven her Il she
had even simulated a mild surprise. But
she DID neither. She knew what |
meant more's the pity, she knew the
very instant ] spoke.
Deliberately had she prepared the
basket anticipating my resentment, and
willing was she 10 incur that resent
ment rather thar let me take the remote.
improbable, fantastic chance Of getting
-, 49, - . - ~f.- ,zIl.I
within me. not for myself alone. but for
the sons OF men.
struggled TO overcome Il az we set
upon our Journey but. despite the
glorious day | could not succeed. II
haunted me after We had reached Round
Knob, | felt It's influence AZ ! sat
p"rched upon a towering ledge gazing
out upon miles Of clustered tree tops, and
II was the last thing | remember be-
fore falling asleep beneath an old birch
tree that stood IN p~atriarchal majesty
overlooking the valley.
When | awoke the afternoon was far
spent and my wife was seated beside
me reading 4 magazine she had brought
along to while away the hours.
Turning homeward. We reached the
that overlooked the open road
AS the rim OF the sun disappeared
the horizon. Although II was but
early september. there was a hint OF
brown in the hedges and some OF the
tree tops were touched with red.
We walked along in silence. listening
TO the melancholy wolves Of the summer
dusk. over and over again they
seemed to say "a little longer. just "a
little longer, and then. farewell
was a touch of sadness every
in the cricket's sharp chirp. the
rustic OF the leaves, tho w~hippoorwills