Sentence:  Almost before Carlyle realized his good fortune he was on Broadway, with offers of engagements on all sides, and more money than he had ever dreamed of. It was when he realized that he was spending the <WSD>golden years</WSD> of his life gibbering round a stage with a lot of black men. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  The period during which someone or something flourishes.