Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-08-19
AS ONE WOMAN SEES IT
That Old Age May Be at Once Useful
and Beautiful Abundantiy Proved
by Two Instances Cited
BY SARAH u. LOwRIE

BY SARAH u. LOWRIE
T WAS helping my great.aunt make her
l. bed once and every time that l would
tighten the undersheet so as to get 1t smooth
she would give It little twitch to wrinkle
It. =,
Don't make Il too smooth ~ she said.
II might get as fussy as the princess.
What princess?" said l staring nt her.
The princess who insisted that she could
not sleep for the lump in her mattress, and
under the lower mattress, sure enough they
found little green pea ~
My great aunt was like that about every
comfort and self Indulgence.
She was afraid they would get the better
of her, so she allowed herself almost no set
habits, except the habit Of being cbarmingly
useful and delightfully."- amusing. AS con
sequence, although she had not cent in the
world Of her own, there were five homes
full of loving relations that clamored for her
and where her room, her few belongings were
kept ready for her welcome presence. And
though she passed at will from one family to
another, her coming was always JOY and
her departure q loss. from the servants up.
AS one OF the children expressed Il: Shes
the most minding her business old lady that
ever lived"
She said Of herself by way Of explanation
OF her coziness that she had very good
forgetery." And certainly that convenient
letting the disagreeable slip away from one
10 tEdit tudt UHheS uupplutss.
CHE was quite deaf and very nearly blind
~ before she died, but somehow she man
aged to bear these hnndcaps to her COM
plete independence as though they were
mere temporary Inconvenience that did not
so much cut her off from the fullness of
living as concentrate her upon what was
left. She was only cross II any one tam
pered with her independence, and even then
nnl mi itut ha,1
pened that she had my hand in hers when
she was dying-in her weakness she had
taken me for my aunt whom she dearly
loved and who had been summoned to her
deathbed, but whose coming was delayed.
Happily for my great -aunt, she was un-
her wish had been fulfilled.
Take your things of and have your
breakfast and rest for a little" said she.
And then we will have our talk. I want to
settle few things before"
She never finished unless that character
istic kind thinking Of some one else and at
the same time trust in others to fulfill her
few desires was in sense the epitome of
her life.
THAT was years ago, and I never sup
l. posed there was any one else in the
world who could equal her for quiet, homely
humor and enjoyment and independence and
age until / met grandma
That is not her relationship to me-indeed
she has only one grandchild and one great
grandchild-and l only met her last year.
But she has given Inc hope once more that
old age can really be the most beautiful Of
all the ages and an old person in the house
the most blessed OF all prPsences.
Because of some disability she is what
some persons might call "A shut in" But
from her dormer windows that overlook a
garden and stream and stretch of meadow
and winding road she overlooks the wide
world with her wise and serene eyes. Her
room has all the peace of a far removed
place and all the interest of daily contacts
with score of interests not her own.
FROM the gardener who clumps up the
stairs with his latest posies, to far off me,
thick in outside affairs. she grasps our points
of view and gives us the benefit of her mind
at leisure from herself.
TNOWARD the narrowing and ever narrow
L ing restrictions of her physical powers
she maintains well bred gallant attitude
of reticent acceptance. She does not dwell
on how she IL, neither does she repel ones
question. Ii has its passing interest but it
is not what she is glad to see you come into
her room to talk about
She Is ready for your view of life ns
though when YOU went out again to pursue
IT she would go with you like a comrade
iier own 'narhcterlstlcs-the things she in
Slsts on in herSelf-are great personal neat
ness. fewness of possessions, something TO
offer by way OF passing hospitality. some
thing TO read, something to mend something
to keep In order all the airs Of heaven and
much hlckcring sunlight, the daily sight il
only Tor n moment, OF the one person that Is
necessary to her world and for the rest what
ever messenger from the beyond the day
sends her.
0NE takes it for granted that she is lonely
" sometimes for what has gone with the
years. one knows that she suffers more than
discomfort from what the years have brought
to her of bodily ills. but her ready laugh,
her comprchending observation, her serene
slenceS, her reluctance to say good by and
her glad welcomes make the climb up her
winding stairs sort of breathless joy. One
is always impatient for the next time.
IL old age can be like that why need onv
Of us be afraid of 1t or lingcr shamefacedy
on its threshold?
Such lives have great part to play in
other lives. We owe them what we can
never pay in kind never pay to them, it NAV
be. '
Any example Of that we can follow. II wa
will, in the art Of living beautifully and
simply Is kind Of sacred fire which we
should let 60 out at our peril
THERE is legend that during the per.
L secution Of Diocletian there was a fes-
tival of slaughtering Christians in the Coli
scum IT was decreed for the pleasure OF
the crowd that certain of the nobier captiyos
should be allowed TO commit suicide before
their bodies were thrown to the lions.
A youth and his young sister were chosen
as the first victims. They We're led out into
the arena and he was given a dagger. lie
hestated in some sudden terror. and his sister
taking the dagger from his nervous hand
pressed 1t to her heart with sure strength
and gave 1t back with smile
1T does not hurt. my brother r.' she
urged as she slipped dying to his breast.
Any one who bears pain and loss and
disappointment with head unbent and n
heart unconQucred and with kindly ewes for
others JOY has great part in the life of the