Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-12-21
The DIFFERENCE IN OLD MEN.

time ago two men who had been active
and pushing all their lives fell into the
twilight Of old age together and in the
| same town. Old Jim Martin had run
! bank there since the time to which
the memory of the younger men ran
| not He came into town with a dollar
and bought a bucksaw, SO ran the
legend He bucked adversely as he
sawed wood, put in long hours and
worked fast. And in time ne started
his little bank He made money and
gained power and raised a family of
two boys. And at last the time came
when the doctor told him that he could
take his choice-quit hard work and
live long time easy or stick to the
boss's job and die soon. And old Jim
cussed out the doctor for fool,
chewed a little more tobacco, crowded
things a little harder. gave his per-
sonal attention to every mortgage and
lasted six months He has a beautiful
and imposing monun ent in the pretty
cemetery just outside of town and it
is kept better than Jim would ever
have cared for it.
Then. there was Old Uncle Tom
Wiseman. 1t was about the same time
and it was the same doctor who put
the same proposition up to Uncle
Tom. Now Tom Wiseman was one Of
the best known men in the country.
He had been merchant and salesman
and threshing machine agent and ele-
vator man and buster than a bee. He
dabbled in real estate. He loaned some
Of his sisters money" who lived back
east 1t was suspected by, some Of
those nearest to Tom that his sister"
lived in big brick block and issued
life insurance. but that's neither here
busy as a cranberry merchant. He
! caTle CT 90 oi5 docs office rather
white around the gills and thinking
hard. He wasn't rich but he could get
along all right. He quit right there.
He and his wife went back east visit
ing. They took little trip down the
coast. Tom grew better and came
home looking fine and feeling pretty
good Thought of going to hard work
again. Was better than most of the
boys and knew il. But about that time
Old Jim Martin let loose all holds and
Tom helped put him away in the ceme-
terry. And right there Tom concluded
that living and feeling we'll was job
! enough for an elderly man and took
outlive everyone in sight.
! Well. he came mighty near doing it.
| That was thirty years ago, perhaps
| little more. Asking how long Old Tom
had been dead the other day of an old
| acquaintance the information was
| forthcoming that Tom died two years
ago. That he was 81 when he passed
and that he walked about and took all
kinds OF interest in all kinds of things
up to the very day of his death and
| that he had had more Jun living since
that interview with the doctor than he
had ever had before. And poor old
Jim Martin had been dust thirty long
years because he hadn't quit.
| Perhaps Old Tom had read Cicero
on old age: perhaps he hadn't. If he
hadn't he knew of himself all that
Cicero had studied out and could tell
him. Cato, the Censor never made
Toms acquaintance but Cato hadn't
much on Thomas when it came down
to good, hard, practical common sense
that figures that good time and hap
Ply companionship on earth are more
to the mind Of the average man than
the prospect of wings and harps and
| the like ahead. And so Tom stayed
where he was acquainted, occupied
himself with minor business as his
strength permitted made a little
money here and there and lived to be
"a, the kind Of an old man the boy
grown to an old man himself remem-
bers and asks after thirty years since
their acquaintance had been severed.
And that is the story Of Old Jim
| Martin whose heirs live In the finest
houses in the town and have more
money than is good for them and who
has been dead the best part Of forty
years; and Of old Tom Wisemap whose
estate probated for about $500 and
who lived to be a. happily and was
glad Of it and so was everybody else.
Remember that feeling Of Joy which
thrills the cuticle on discovering the
moning after a v unknowinsiy left
over from the night beforey Some
thin. sh.s.,;:= Tie ~ multiplied several times
thrilled a New York woman. Going
thru the effects Of her late husband she