The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-03-29

I IF you would keep young and haven
 a vital and consuming interest in life, = to help you on then Lit is up to you to create one.
 The war has been a marvellous factor in. the case of what somebody has called 'the mummified" woman; and you find ''the mummified woman" in all walks or life, rich. poor, young, old.
 Rider Haggards "She" was no older than the type known as "the mummified woman;" the kind that is 'set in her ways" as the old saying goes; the kinc that raises Merry Hullabaloo" if she can't match a piece of garnet" Ohey always wear garnet or buff or "drab," you know) satin to finish her gown; the kind that raises particular Hades if the silver can't be cleaned OH Thursday; and-and-but what's the use to enumerate ell the kinds" because you know them as well as l do.
 "A Soul Above Buttons" in other words is what will keep you young at 50, 60 even 70; a soul above sofa pillows, and choco- late ices and gridbe parties and gossip; in other words, the woman who uses her "thinkery' and doesn't regard her bralh as merely an organ above which she pins her bonnet.
 The women who grow old, I started to say gracefully but I shall change 1t and say "disgracefully,' seldom care for little children; if they did they wouldn't go through that fearful death on-earth process of "irying-up;" coagulating, as it were; "Mummifying;" petrifying' turning to stone. in other words; usually this sort of woman paints and powders and dyes her hair and wear high heeied shoes and her family consists. of canary a poodle dog, couple of gold fish and a ''victrola;' if there is a 'Friend Has- band about, he,. too, has the dry rot and in all probability ''Friend Wife has had a good deal. to do with his state or mind.
 l read very interesting story the other day in one of the big daily newspapers which impressed me tremendously ana here is the way the story was told;
 How old are you?" might have been the title of an amusing comedy, enacten at the special congressional election in New York a short time ago, when Wom- en voted.
 This inquiry was put to tall, slim, boyish looking woman-one of the keen. live-wire type. Without a moments hes- itation she answer: "Forty-nine.
 She was in formed this was no occasion for jocularity and serious consequences might ensue if she persisted in merry making. The lady, with an air of T ex- pected this" opened her handbag and produced a marriage license, setting forth that she had been married 2S years ana that she was 21 at the time of the cere- mony.
 The men looked foolish and the slender one with an air of having insured her self against masculine stupidity, went oti with her business of citizenship and de- parted. ss
 Another woman with a triple chin, shortness of breath, and a general air or ,limpness who had got wind of the com edy nearly contracted apopleXy in run ming down the girlish forty miner. How do you do it?', she gasped.
 And the lady who had held the clock back 20 years, answered briefly: Interest and fresh air"
 It's nice story, isn't it, and don't you agree with the lady that an interest in something or somebody, some vital in terest in life as a whetstone for every fac ulty, is the greatest thing in the world to keep the: years as they fly past us from leaving their fatal footprints?
 Do you, realize that Clemenceau, the great French premier, is nigh on to So years? Thomas Edison recently celebrated a birthday in the 70's, and he thinks noth- ing of working 4S hours on stretch. pr. Anna Howard Shaw is in the 70's and she