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Show Vbtas for "Old Age" Numerous Compensations and Enjoyments for That Period of Declining Activity. very desirable ends." Flow Lady Mary would have enjoyed a jig-saw puzzle ! The typical old lady of a generation genera-tion but lately gone, sat by the fire with white cap and spectacles, knit ting socks for the whole family. Today, To-day, she dons a stylish stout, wears the new Oxford. In lieu of the sorm what passee lorgnette, and sallies forth'to solve problems of politics or contract bridge. A dear voting Eloosier friend sent me the following original verse : GRANDMOTHERS Whene'er 1 think of grandmothers, 1 think of cherished thlnRs; Of creamv. delicate old tare. And dear remembered dreams. I think of modest mignonette Dew-drenched at new day's dawn: Of perfumed sweetpea s pastel tints: Of shade upon a lawn. I think of Artemisia gray, Like filagree of silver hair, Ol lips that speak of troubled hearts Love's words of wisdom rare; Of fragile Dresden china In A corner cupboard old. Of Eden hours of new-wed love. Too sacred to be told; Of shaded lights on autumn night. And sound of summer rain; Of new born baby's lips against Mv breast that stings with pain; Of work-worn hands, that vet are soft That minister with loving care; Of love that makes e'en drudgery A shining halo wear. Oh preclnus. priceless grandmothers! Without you. how great dearth! Oh grandmothers! Life shows In you True beauty on the earth. valuable books, they are almost as rare as valuable men. I must be con tent with what I can find. Wha would she have thought of the output of books, today?) u Continuing. I.ady Mary writes: As I approach a second childhood. I en deavor to enter Into the pleasures of it. Vour youngest son is perhaps at this very moment riding on a pokei with great delight, not at all regret-in., regret-in., that It is not a gold one and much less wishing it an Arabian horse, which he would not know how to manage. I am reading an idle tale, not expecting wit or truth in it, and am very glad it is not metaphysics meta-physics to puzzle my judgment or history his-tory to mislead my opinion. He for tifJes his strength by exercise; I calm my cares by oblivion. The methods may appear low to busy people, but if he improves his strength and J forget my infirmities, we both attain Ever since the days of Cicero's "De Senectute," which we labored over in junior high, as they call it now. men have been fretting about old age, a writer in the Indianapolis News comments. com-ments. It is generally considered a time of life to be dreaded because of the sadness connected with declining activity. But sometimes the window opens upon a new vista, and we follow fol-low Vida T. Scudiler's pages in the Atlantic with Joy because they seem so sane. Having suddenly found herself arrived ar-rived at the age of seventy. Miss Scudder is Inspired to take up her pen for the benefit of those In like predicament. She regards it as a matter of triumph, rather than discouragement, dis-couragement, to have reached a time when one may be glad to be left off of committees and like responsibill ties, and spend the remainder of her days in the enjoyment of the scenes of life from the shelf to which she has been relegated, when one may read, not classics or any prescribed course, but just what has long been oveted as desirable or particularly restful. Lady Mary Wortley Montague evidently evi-dently had a like aspiration, writing to her daughter. Lady Bute: "Daughter, "Daugh-ter, daughter! Don't scold, don't call names. You are always abusing my pleasures, which is what no mortal will bear. Trash, lumber, and stuff are the titles you give to my favorite amusements. We all have our play things; happy are they that can be contented with those they can obtain ; those hours are spent in the wisest manner that can easiest shade the ills of life and are the least productive produc-tive of ill consequences . . . The active ac-tive scenes are over at my age. I Indulge In-dulge with all the art I can, my taste for reading. If I would confine it to |
