Omaha daily bee., 1915-04-17

them, but in age l 49,
sit upon the noun \ sS3l |!
tain top and the ASFSAu1 ~ !
Whole panorama of
human happenings is unrolled before me, !
and I sec how the one exists because OF
the other how small are the things !
once thought 80 great and important, al
how everything tends to one great end.
Youth is so narrow. so intolerant 1t ,
demands perfection. For g single fault
youth condemns an individual and puts
him beyond tho pale.
las we grow cider we learn that no
one is perfect and no one wholly bad.
and SO we begin to take what Is good in
people, and enjoy it, and leave what is
had.
"I sometimes smile to myself as think
over my list Of friends. and remember
how ] should have scomed so many of
them in my young days when ! was so
impatient of everything that didn't meas
IRE up to the highest standard. And IL
isn't because l have lowered my ideals.
1t is simply because / have come TO have
broader sympathes and TO estimate val
ues more justly.
There's LITTLE FIfine, frivolous and
brainless as a butterfly, to whom the
most important thing in the world is to
have the very latest cut in a gown and
the EXTREMIST hat from Paris. Fifine
never had serious thought in her life
She's indiscreet. She neglects her hus-
hand and her children and her home.
How I should once have condemned
her! But l don't now. because / have
found out that there never was a warmer
or a more generous heart than beats
under the imported gown that she's gone
in debt for If want help quickly and
surely. for any needy person. the one
call on first is Fifine, and never call
in vain. ,
And there's John. who has made his
money in questionable wayss and who
doesn't even understand what the word
honesty means in the sense that under
stand it. He's a man who has driven close
bargains, who has taken all the short
cuts to wealth, a hard, sordid money
grabber that I should have once despised
from the bottom of my heart.
But l don't now, because I have seen
him in his home as tender, and as
patient to a querulous invalid wife as
an angel could be. know the long
nights that he sits by her bed minister
ing to hcr. a-l that because nc will not
caro- to hired hands he denies himself
every particle of recreation. He never
even 50 much as goes to tho theater. or
for an automobile ride, or game of golf.
''Hc spends his life vibrating between
sick room and the factory, where he
tolls like ficnd. know that the money
that he wrests from others often un-
fairly. hn pours out like water on his
wife, and because his soul Is lit by a
Ercat love that has been capable OF
making great sacrifice, | can overlook
what is mean in him.
And there's Sara, Grabbed and cross
grained. whose tongue drops vitriol Sara
is malice and unchar.tableness persona
fled She knows the worst of everybody
and tells it. She turns on those who
try TO help her. and stabs them 10 the
heart with cruel speeches, born of envy
Il am enc OF the very few friends She
had in the world, and time and again
she says things to me that in other days
would have made me drop her. But
don't even get angry with her now wheI
she makes one Of her caustic speeches
that turns a searchlight upon one Of my
pet weaknesses. for know that Sara
life has been one long sacrifice on the
altar Of lier family.
she gave up the man she was to hav'
married in her youth in order TO supper
her old father and mother, and 10 Civ,
the younger children in the family
chance in life she never had. And sine
then there has always been a horde o
hungry mouths TO feed, nephews ant
nieces. always new babies being borl
10 incompctents who couldn't supper
them, and the burden of 1t all fallirS Of
I In
OF all that she had done. don't see he
as the termagant, the woman with tn
serpent's tongue. l see her as an un
crowned saint and martyr.
And there's Charlie. handsome, de
bonair. mercuTial fascinating. a reed 10
every wind Of passion to blow. Charli
married as nice a little woman as eve
lived, ana had three of the prettiest httl
children, and then for no reason at a
except his own wandering fancy he dc
serted his wife and children and do
Camped with another woman.
Weak and unmanly. and recreant I
duty, I grant you; but Charlie had hi
hour when he was a man. when a vach
on which there was q gay and hall
drunken pleasure party struck the rock
and seven times he went out 20 whs
Seemed certain death to rescue those o
board.
And SO II goes through a long list {
people ] know. each one with some n
Ceeming trait. no matter how bad II
rest Of him or her is: and I get sue
Joy and gladness out OF them. becaui
age has taught me how TO mine for II
gold and throw aside the dross.
Youth Is colorblind II sees only blaC
and white. But age clears our eyes
We behold all OF the delicate pastel shad
in humanity. And that's what reconcil'
one TO growing old"