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on　horseback　without　help；　and　rode　to　the　death　of　the　stag　till　he

was　past　fourscore。〃



Everything　depends　on　habit。　　Old　people　can　do；　of　course；　more　or

less　well；　what　they　have　been　doing　all　their　lives；　but　try　to

teach　them　any　new　tricks；　and　the　truth　of　the　old　adage　will　very

soon　show　itself。　　Mr。　Henry　Hastings　had　done　nothing　but　hunt　all

his　days；　and　his　record　would　seem　to　have　been　a　good　deal　like

that　of　Philippus　Zaehdarm　in　that　untranslatable　epitaph　which　may

be　found　in　〃Sartor　Resartus。〃　　Judged　by　its　products；　it　was　a　very

short　life　of　a　hundred　useless　twelve　months。



It　is　something　to　have　climbed　the　white　summit；　the　Mont　Blanc　of

fourscore。　　A　small　number　only　of　mankind　ever　see　their　eightieth

anniversary。　　I　might　go　to　the　statistical　tables　of　the　annuity　and

life　insurance　offices　for　extended　and　exact　information；　but　I

prefer　to　take　the　facts　which　have　impressed　themselves　upon　me　in

my　own　career。



The　class　of　1829　at　Harvard　College；　of　which　I　am　a　member；

graduated；　according　to　the　triennial；　fifty…nine　in　number。　　It　is

sixty　years；　then；　since　that　time；　and　as　they　were；　on　an　average；

about　twenty　years　old；　those　who　survive　must　have　reached　fourscore

years。　　Of　the　fifty…nine　graduates　ten　only　are　living；　or　were　at

the　last　accounts；　one　in　six；　very　nearly。　　In　the　first　ten　years

after　graduation；　our　third　decade；　when　we　were　between　twenty　and

thirty　years　old；　we　lost　three　members；about　one　in　twenty；

between　the　ages　of　thirty　and　forty；　eight　died；one　in　seven　of

those　the　decade　began　with；　from　forty　to　fifty；　only　two；or　one

in　twenty…four；　from　fifty　to　sixty；　eight；or　one　in　six　；　from

sixty　to　seventy；　fifteen；or　two　out　of　every　five；　from　seventy　to

eighty；　twelve；or　one　in　two。　　The　greatly　increased　mortality

which　began　with　our　seventh　decade　went　on　steadily　increasing。　　At

sixty　we　come　〃within　range　of　the　rifle…pits；〃　to　borrow　an

expression　from　my　friend　Weir　Mitchell。



Our　eminent　classmate；　the　late　Professor　Benjamin　Peirce；　showed　by

numerical　comparison　that　the　men　of　superior　ability　outlasted　the

average　of　their　fellow…graduates。　　He　himself　lived　a　little　beyond

his　threescore　and　ten　years。　　James　Freeman　Clarke　almost　reached

the　age　of　eighty。　　The　eighth　decade　brought　the　fatal　year　for

Benjamin　Robbins　Curtis；　the　great　lawyer；　who　was　one　of　the　judges

of　the　Supreme　Court　of　the　United　States；　for　the　very　able　chief

justice　of　Massachusetts；　George　Tyler　Bigelow；　and　for　that　famous

wit　and　electric　centre　of　social　life；　George　T。　Davis。　　At　the　last

annual　dinner　every　effort　was　made　to　bring　all　the　survivors　of　the

class　together。　　Six　of　the　ten　living　members　were　there；　six　old

men　in　the　place　of　the　thirty　or　forty　classmates　who　surrounded　the

long；　oval　table　in　1859；　when　I　asked；　〃Has　there　any　old　fellow　got

mixed　with　the　boys？　　〃11　boys〃　whose　tongues　were　as　the　vibrating

leaves　of　the　forest；　whose　talk　was　like　the　voice　of　many　waters；

whose　laugh　was　as　the　breaking　of　mighty　waves　upon　the　seashore。

Among　the　six　at　our　late　dinner　was　our　first　scholar；　the　thorough…

bred　and　accomplished　engineer　who　held　the　city　of　Lawrence　in　his

brain　before　it　spread　itself　out　along　the　banks　of　the　Merrimac。

There；　too；　was　the　poet　whose　National　Hymn；　〃My　Country；　't　is　of

thee；〃　is　known　to　more　millions；　and　dearer　to　many　of　them；　than

all　the　other　songs　written　since　the　Psalms　of　David。　　Four　of　our

six　were　clergymen；　the　engineer　and　the　present　writer　completed　the

list。　　Were　we　melancholy？　　Did　we　talk　of　graveyards　and　epitaphs？

No；we　remembered　our　dead　tenderly；　serenely；　feeling　deeply　what

we　had　lost　in　those　who　but　a　little　while　ago　were　with　us。　　How

could　we　forget　James　Freeman　Clarke；　that　man　of　noble　thought　and

vigorous　action；　who　pervaded　this　community　with　his　spirit；　and　was

felt　through　all　its　channels　as　are　the　light　and　the　strength　that

radiate　through　the　wires　which　stretch　above　us？　　It　was　a　pride　and

a　happiness　to　have　such　classmates　as　he　was　to　remember。　　We　were

not　the　moping；　complaining　graybeards　that　many　might　suppose　we

must　have　been。　　We　had　been　favored　with　the　blessing　of　long　life。

We　had　seen　the　drama　well　into　its　fifth　act。　　The　sun　still　warmed

us；　the　air　was　still　grateful　and　life…giving。　　But　there　was

another　underlying　source　of　our　cheerful　equanimity；　which　we　could

not　conceal　from　ourselves　if　we　had　wished　to　do　it。　　Nature's

kindly　anodyne　is　telling　upon　us　more　and　more　with　every　year。　　Our

old　doctors　used　to　give　an　opiate　which　they　called　〃the　black

drop。〃　　It　was　stronger　than　laudanum；　and；　in　fact；　a　dangerously

powerful　narcotic。　　Something　like　this　is　that　potent　drug　in

Nature's　pharmacopoeia　which　she　reserves　for　the　time　of　need；the

later　stages　of　life。　　She　commonly　begins　administering　it　at　about

the　time　of　the　〃grand　climacteric；〃　the　ninth　septennial　period；　the

sixty…third　year。　　More　and　more　freely　she　gives　it；　as　the　years　go

on；　to　her　grey…haired　children；　until；　if　they　last　long　enough；

every　faculty　is　benumbed；　and　they　drop　off　quietly　into　sleep　under

its　benign　influence。



Do　you　say　that　old　age　is　unfeeling？　　It　has　not　vital　energy　enough

to　supply　the　waste　of　the　more　exhausting　emotions。　　Old　Men's

Tears；　which　furnished　the　mournful　title　to　Joshua　Scottow's

Lamentations；　do　not　suggest　the　deepest　grief　conceivable。　　A　little

breath　of　wind　brings　down　the　raindrops　which　have　gathered　on　the

leaves　of　the　tremulous　poplars。　　A　very　slight　suggestion　brings　the

tears　from　Marlborough's　eyes；　but　they　are　soon　over；　and　he　is

smiling　again　as　an　allusion　carries　him　back　to　the　days　of　Blenheim

and　Malplaquet。　　Envy　not　the　old　man　the　tranquillity　of　his

existence；　nor　yet　blame　him　if　it　sometimes　looks　like　apathy。

Time；　the　inexorable；　does　not　threaten　him　with　the　scythe　so　often

as　with　the　sand…bag。　　He　does　not　cut；　but　he　stuns　and　stupefies。

One's　fellow…mortals　can　afford　to　be　as　considerate　and　tender　with

him　as　Time　and　Nature。



There　was　not　much　boasting　among　us　of　our　present　or　our　past；　as

we　sat　together　in　the　little　room　at　the　great　hotel。　　A　certain

amount　of　self…deception　is　quite　possible　at　threescore　years　and

ten；　but　at　three　score　years　and　twenty　Nature　has　shown　most　of

those　who　live　to　that　age　that　she　is　earnest；　and　means　to

dismantle　and　have　done　with　them　in　a　very　little　while。　　As　for

boasting　of　our　past；　the　laudator　temporis　acti　makes　but　a　poor

figure　in　our　time。　　Old　people　used　to　talk　of　their　youth　as　if

there　were　giants　in　those　days。　　We　knew　some　tall　men　when　we　were

young；　but　we　can　see　a　man　taller　than　any　one　among　them　at　the

nearest　dime　museum。　　We　had　handsome　women　among　us；　of　high　local

reputation；　but　nowadays　we　have　professional　beauties　who　challenge

the　world　to　criticise　them　as　boldly　as　Phryne　ever　challenged　her

Athenian　admirers。　　We　had　fast　horses；did　not　〃Old　Blue〃　trot　a

mile　in　three　minutes？　　True；　but　there　is　a　three…year…old　colt　just

put　on　the　track　who　has　done　it　in　a　little　more　than　two　thirds　of

that　time。　　It　seems　as　if　the　material　world　had　been　made　over

again　since　we　were　boys。　　It　is　but　a　short　time　since　we　were

counting　up　the　miracles　we　had　lived　to　witness。　　The　list　is

familiar　enough：　the　railroad；　the　ocean　steamer；　photography；　the

spectroscope；　the　telegraph；　telephone；　phonograph；　anesthetics；

electric　illumination；with　such　lesser　wonders　as　the　friction

match；　the　sewing　machine；　and　the　bicycle。　　And　now；　we　said；　we

must　have　come　to　the　end　of　these　unparalleled　developments　of　the

forces　of　nature。　　We　must　rest　on　our　achievements。　　The　nineteenth

century　is　not　likely　to　add　to　them；　we　must　wait　for　the　twentieth

century。　　Many　of　us；　perhaps　most　of　us；　felt　in　that　way。　　We　had

seen　our　planet　furnished　by　the　art　of　man　with　a　complete　nervous

system：　a　spinal　cord　beneath　the　ocean；　secondary　centres；

ganglions；in　all　the　chief　places　where　men　are　gathered　together；

and　ramifications　extending　throughout　civilization。　　All　at　once；　by

the　side　of　this　talking　and　light…giving　apparatus；　we　see　another

wire　stretched　over　our　heads；　carrying　force　to　a　vast　metallic

muscular　system；a　slender　cord　conveying　the　strength　of　a　hundred

men；　of　a　score　of　horses；　of　a　team　of　elephants。　　The　lightning　is

tamed　and　harnessed；　the　thunderbolt　has　become　a　common　carrier。　　No

more　surprises　in　this　century！　　A　voice　whispers；　What　next？



It　will　not　do　for　us　to　boast　about　our　young　days　and　what　they　had

to　show。　　It　is　a　great　deal　better　to　boast　of　what　they　could　not

show；　and；　strange　as　it　may　seem；　there　is　a　certain　satisfaction　in

it。　　In　these　days　of　electric　lighting；　when　you　have　only　to　touch

a　button　and　your　parlor　or　bedroom　is　instantly　flooded　with　light；

it　is　a　pleasure　to　revert　to　the　era　of　the　tinder…box；　the　flint

and　steel；　and　the　brimstone　match。　　It　gives　me　an　almost　proud

satisfaction　to　tell　how　we　used；　when　those　implements　were　not　at

hand　or　not　employed；　to　light　our　whale…oil　lamp　by　blowing　a　live

coal　held　against　the　wick；　often　swelling　our　cheeks　and　reddening

our　faces　until　we　were　on　the　verge　of　apoplexy。　　I　love　to　tell　of

our　stage…coach　experiences；　of　our　sailing…packet　voyages；　of　the

semi…barbarous　destitution　of　all　modern　comforts　and　conveniences

through　which　we　bravely　lived　and　came　out　the　estimable　personages

you　find　us。



Think　of　it！　　All　my　boyish　shooting　was　done　with　a　flint…lock　gun；

the　percussion　lock　came　to　me　as　one　of　those　new…fangled　notions

people　had　just　got　hold　of。　　We　ancients　can　make　a　grand　display　of

minus　quantities　in　our　reminiscences；　and　the　figures　look　almost　as

well　as　if　they　had　the　plus　sign　before　them。