Omaha daily bee., 1916-11-24
The Art Of Growing Old
Chauncey M. Depew'

Davids ninetieh Psalm (the one mentioning
thrce-score years and ten as mans allotted span)
has killed more people than this war, ten times
over. They belieyed they had to die,and died.
Just because David said 10" needn't prevent
you from going on to 80, 90 or l0O
Don't retire at 90 or 20. Keep on going. Have
an interest in life. If not sport-then public
service. Have an eye for pretty girl-and tell
your wife all about her.
You needn't pc a molycoddle or an nsipid
Polyana when you're 20 or older. Enjoy your
self But do your little charities as you go along
and you'll be glad to have lived this glorious life
Get ~, early, no matter how late you go to
bed. All long-lived persons are early rlsers.
Avoid tobacco and alcohol If they disagree
with you. Cut them off.
Above all keep your mind serene. You never
saw an old person who'd been choeric all his
life.
Have some special interest apart from your
business. Mine is the platform. There are many
who like golf. (There are lots OF liars in the
world) If not sport, let service be your recrea-
ton.
The greatest of recreations is service, and
there is plenty of need for it; service to the
church, the nation, the state, the city.
! well remember seventy-hve years ago, when
! was seven and half, the village where lived
had any number of old men and women. They
a cap one sort for day, another for night; but
she never was without one. 1t advertised her
age. The men over 20 lay around the house
or sat on the nail key at the grocery.
We haven't got those people nowadays. |
defy you to show me a woman with cap You
can't tell, in these times, mother from daughter.
And you'll have hard time finding statesman
on a nail key. Everything helps age nowadays,
more than anything the connection between all
parts OF the world by cable and wireless. There's
nothing like knowledge of what's going on to
keep alive mental activity.
Shakcspeare's Seven Ages of Man" don't exist
today. Shakespeare died at 81 thinking himself
an old man. Why, he was still young fellow
Take his Seventh Age-"sans teeth, sans taste,
sans eyes, sans everything" Why the dentists
give us better teeth than we had originally. The
oculists actually improve on natures own eyes.
And as for TASTE every good wife knows that she
better look out if the old gentleman finds some
thing on the table not up to his standard.
We ought not to fail to take David's character
into consideration as well as his words. He died
in the early seventies, but he had lived the life.
From shepherd boy he'd risen until he was
king. He got everything he could. 1t is even
said if few husbands were in the way, he'd send
them to the forefront Of the nearest battle. Con-
slider the>sort of man it was who tells you you
must die at 20.
man can live to be 100. | knew one CEN
tenarian-Chevrel, the great French chemist.
attended his birthday celebration and asked him
how he did it. He said, 81 never used alcohol or
tobacco and l like my work" There was an
old gentleman next to Chevrel at the banquet,
who kept filling his glass and 'toasting everybody
in sight Chevrel kept pushing him down into
his seat. | asked who the old fellow was oh"
said my friend, that's Chevrel son, his oldest
boy, r."