New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-07-27
FOR LIES LATER YEARS

or woman is doing today, or the man
or woman in middle-age, there must
come to him or her some thought OF
the later years of life. The thought
may not be a pleasant one; 1t is put
from us quickly as a rule. We do not
like to think of the day when we can
no longer do the things we are doing.
But those days are inevitable and they
need not be unhappy days If proper
thought is taken of them, proper
preparation made.
Every man, at least, and now that
women are so prominent in all activi
ties, many women, come naturally by
the desire to prepare In a financial
way II possible for those later years
of life. It is Unborn in everyone to try
to save enough money to make those
days when work should be over, COM
Portable days at least. The mystical
rainy day" is prepared for, and old
age is apt to be the time when that
rain" comes. 1t is quite unnecessary
to dwell on the importance of this
financial preparation that ought to be
made while man or woman has,
his or her full strength to earn enough
for the time when earning money is
at least more difficult.
But the other phase of life is less
frequently considered-the phase that
touches upon the pleasures, the en-
very young look upon those advanced
in years and wonder what they find
In. life to enjoy, Some youths and
maidens consider white hair the
badge Of hopelessness. What does a |
man do when he is so years old, to |
enjoy himself" one youth asked his
father. The man, then So, strong,
practically in his mental prime, smiled
at the son and replied: Il am So years
old, and I can say truthfully I never
enjoyed life as I do today" People
in middle life advance that period of
what they call old age, a few years.
They have the same feeling for a per-
son of 80 or more. And these are the
days that may be made happy or I'M
happy according to the preparation
that has been made for them, not
alone by saving a competence, but by
remembering, in youth and middle age
that there must. be come pleasure in
life, something aside from vigorous
play, to make those later years happy.
my boy" said the Presiding Justice
of the Appellate Division of the Su-
preme Court in New York state, upon
his seventy-third birthday, learn in
your young days to do something with
your hands, some work that is not
hard, that will entertain you when
your eyes have gone back on you"
He was q man of means-and his
chief pleasure in life had been reading
and studying. Now, at 70, in splendid
health, his eyes would not allow him
to read as much as he wanted to. He
regretted that he had never learned
to turn a lathe or do something else
of that character which would not tire
those eyes which he had used inces-
sanity all his life in work and en-
tertainment.
The man who works all his life with ,
his hands may or may not have been ,
compelled to tire his eyes; possibly, 7
in later life, he will be able to turn r
to the reading which he has neglect d.
ed; this may be his way of making i
happy those last years The character ,
of the work is not important. There is g
Perry Hale, great Yale football r
player of twenty-three years ago. r
Blindness came to him; he met it +
bravely, making kites for the children p
while he was stiIl in middle age. Later e,
he turned to other work, but when T.
old age comes upon hinf he will be h
able still to enjoy the making of these a
kites. 4
The experience OF advanced years,
for US in the most kindly s
spirit. tells us all to think of those a
last years of life not mournfully, q
buthappily and braveIy Il
and to learn and become interested in b
that we may do when a
strength fails. 1t is hard to learn by II
he experience of others, but 1t is Il
worth while trying, and if, in addition II
% having some work for those days n
hat will interest us. that work will n
make others happy, too. such as y
Perry Hale's kites, the happiness Of d
be last years of life will be increased n
.Dnyfold- e