Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-02-19
The Times-D Dispatch Sunday
Sermon
TENDERNESS FoR THE AGED.
by }. A. Eubauk.

by y. ~ Eubnuk.
And BRrrilai the Giieadite came down from
Noseitni, anu wont over Jordan with the kins
TO conduct him over Jordan. Now Bar8lla
old; ana he had provided tho King Of susie
nance name while he lay at Mahanaim; for he was
ziilai. Come thou over with me. and l will
r,,ai thee ln,, WIN me in Jerusalem And Bar
-Jerusalem?-2 Samuel XIX. 1884.
David In re,rcating before his son. Alb.
salon. who sought to usurp tho throne
crossed over Jordan into Gilead, that por,
ton Of the promised land allotted to tn,
Reubenites. and. as tho text indicates. wa,
kindly treated|by tho aged Barzllal, who
afforded him and his following sustenance
When Absalom was slain and the rebellion
was suppressed. and David ready &c
croSR the Jordan again his return to
Jerusalem. he remembered the kindness oil
the aged man and sought to induce him to
return with him and reside In the Kings
palace, where nc could receive the comforts
and tho care TO which old age ID entitled.
So far as recall David never was guilty
OF but act OF ingratitudc. and that was
when he sent his faithful subject. Uriah, into
tho foremost OF the bnttle to be slain. that
he might take unto himself his wife, Bath
sheba. For this act OF perhdy no was made
to suffer most grievously. through Gods In
exorable laws
Eiphaz in his efforts to offer consolation
to the afflicted Job. makes this statcmcnt;
with us are both the gray-headed aud very
aged men, much Older than thy father"
Every age has it's gray headed and very
aged men. and there be few OF them who
have not rendered effective service to the
generations In which they have lived. In
their various activities they have served the
States as Rarzilai served the King OF Isra ell
Whnt have their generations done for
them in their declining years when. as
Baraillai said TO David: II am this day four
I he wee
good and evil? Can thy servant taste what
eat what ] drink? Can l hear any more
the voice OF singing men and singing womeny
Let society In it's boosted progress of this
day and time answer this question: as II Is
being pressed upon II by the pitiable condi-
ton OF the tens Of thousands of the very
aged men i'm it's midst.
We We're much impressed by an editorial
in the Philadelphia North American COM
mcnting on n letter received by It from one
of the army OF the very aged. We give the
letter as printed by the North American:
Respected Friend: ! am an old man. refined
age OF so years. have but few dollars. no
n ncex n" k p" o% WI WIN aea
what am / to do? fear a possible lingering
wnsss m; last Sr S@T-
multiplied Years admoniSh me that the shadow
TO record the passing days OF my earthly life
n Man' to ssGane ,hs "lmsn"pse and suicide
want to become an actor In "A tragedy dark
and woof Of human experience. ~"
sn ma" 6 ESn Fys me som5Sr or shall
despair and find serenity in death?
This letter was written says the North
American. in hand showing traces OF age
hut remarkably firm for one OF four-score
years. The chirograph corrohorated the
evidence OF the phraang OF the letter that
the author Is person OF unusual mental
background, who has retained his strength
Of mind and has keen appreciation OF his
present position. Further investigation con-
Armed every point OF the letter. The writer
IL old: he is man. OF respectable and use
full past: he has refined personal tastes; he
has lived a clean i!fe he had no bad habits:
he is spriEhtly in mind and body; lie is poor
when he wrote the letter he facing the
almshouSc or more horrible alternative.
Now. says the North American. "this
case in itself is not important enough to call
for such prominent notice ns we give IL here
II II were only an instance of an old man
In the situation that hundreds OF thousa n Is
OF other aged persons. men and women, are
In at this moment should, however re-
lmc;antly. he compelled TO pass II by with
an appeal to the charitable for temporary re-
lief. But IL is just because OF those hum
dr"Gs OF thousands Of others that we make
this old mans ease the subject or rather the
text for an editorial lie is not worse off
than they. Indeed. he Is much better of.
For he Is TO be taken care or while they
must struggle on under their weight OF years.
helpless. hopeless. dependent on desuitory
aid or virtual prisoners in the sordid and
rcpulsive surroundings of the almshouscs,
10 which our public sentiment miscal cd
charity condemns the unfortunate old"
Think YOU that the eternal principles of
the brotherhood or man and the FatherhuOd
or COD were proclaimed any too soon? On
the contrary, have not men been too slow in
srasping their full meaning?
Not every old man, helpless and poor
has such record OF virtues as this one
about which the North American writes
Whose fault largely is II except societys
that their manhood has not been so well
rounded out? God created man in Wis own
imagc-who IL responsible for marrinu thai
Image?
society, II II Is to go on attaining the
things that are worth WHILE must wake IN
more fully to It's responsibilities and take
pc''r care OF the aged and inilrm In its
midst. Gray hairs an honor TO n man
ana the civilization that dIshonors them Is
not the kind or civilization that can com
mand Gods richest blessings