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well　as　if　they　had　the　plus　sign　before　them。



I　am　afraid　that　old　people　found　life　rather　a　dull　business　in　the

time　of　King　David　and　his　rich　old　subject　and　friend；　Barzillai；

who；　poor　man；　could　not　have　read　a　wicked　novel；　nor　enjoyed　a

symphony　concert；　if　they　had　had　those　luxuries　in　his　day。　　There

were　no　pleasant　firesides；　for　there　were　no　chimneys。　　There　were

no　daily　newspapers　for　the　old　man　to　read；　and　he　could　not　read

them　if　there　were；　with　his　dimmed　eyes；　nor　hear　them　read；　very

probably；　with　his　dulled　ears。　　There　was　no　tobacco；　a　soothing

drug；　which　in　its　various　forms　is　a　great　solace　to　many　old　men

and　to　some　old　women；　Carlyle　and　his　mother　used　to　smoke　their

pipes　together；　you　remember。



Old　age　is　infinitely　more　cheerful；　for　intelligent　people　at　least；

than　it　was　two　or　three　thousand　years　ago。　　It　is　our　duty；　so　far

as　we　can；　to　keep　it　so。　　There　will　always　be　enough　about　it　that

is　solemn；　and　more　than　enough；　alas！　that　is　saddening。　　But　how

much　there　is　in　our　times　to　lighten　its　burdens！　　If　they　that　look

out　at　the　windows　be　darkened；　the　optician　is　happy　to　supply　them

with　eye…glasses　for　use　before　the　public；　and　spectacles　for　their

hours　of　privacy。　　If　the　grinders　cease　because　they　are　few；　they

can　be　made　many　again　by　a　third　dentition；　which　brings　no

toothache　in　its　train。　　By　temperance　and　good　Habits　of　life；

proper　clothing；　well…warmed；　well…drained；　and　well…ventilated

dwellings；　and　sufficient；　not　too　much　exercise；　the　old　man　of　our

time　may　keep　his　muscular　strength　in　very　good　condition。　　I　doubt

if　Mr。　　Gladstone；　who　is　fast　nearing　his　eightieth　birthday；　would

boast；　in　the　style　of　Caleb；　that　he　was　as　good　a　man　with　his　axe

as　he　was　when　he　was　forty；　but　I　would　back　him；if　the　match　were

possible；　for　a　hundred　shekels；　against　that　over…confident　old

Israelite；　to　cut　down　and　chop　up　a　cedar　of　Lebanon。　　I　know　a　most

excellent　clergyman；　not　far　from　my　own　time　of　life；　whom　I　would

pit　against　any　old　Hebrew　rabbi　or　Greek　philosopher　of　his　years

and　weight；　if　they　could　return　to　the　flesh；　to　run　a　quarter　of　a

mile　on　a　good；　level　track。



We　must　not　make　too　much　of　such　exceptional　cases　of　prolonged

activity。　　I　often　reproached　my　dear　friend　and　classmate；　Tames

Freeman　Clarke；　that　his　ceaseless　labors　made　it　impossible　for　his

coevals　to　enjoy　the　luxury　of　that　repose　which　their　years

demanded。　　A　wise　old　man；　the　late　Dr。　James　Walker；　president　of

Harvard　University；　said　that　the　great　privilege　of　old　age　was　the

getting　rid　of　responsibilities。　　These　hard…working　veterans　will

not　let　one　get　rid　of　them　until　he　drops　in　his　harness；　and　so

gets　rid　of　them　and　his　life　together。　　How　often　has　many　a　tired

old　man　envied　the　superannuated　family　cat；　stretched　upon　the　rug

before　the　fire；　letting　the　genial　warmth　tranquilly　diffuse　itself

through　all　her　internal　arrangements！　　No　more　watching　for　mice　in

dark；　damp　cellars；　no　more　awaiting　the　savage　gray　rat　at　the　mouth

of　his　den；　no　more　scurrying　up　trees　and　lamp…posts　to　avoid　the

neighbor's　cur　who　wishes　to　make　her　acquaintance！　　It　is　very　grand

to　〃die　in　harness；〃　but　it　is　very　pleasant　to　have　the　tight　straps

unbuckled　and　the　heavy　collar　lifted　from　the　neck　and　shoulders。



It　is　natural　enough　to　cling　to　life。　　We　are　used　to　atmospheric

existence；　and　can　hardly　conceive　of　ourselves　except　as　breathing

creatures。　　We　have　never　tried　any　other　mode　of　being；　or；　if　we

have；　we　have　forgotten　all　about　it；　whatever　Wordsworth's　grand　ode

may　tell　us　we　remember。　　Heaven　itself　must　be　an　experiment　to

every　human　soul　which　shall　find　itself　there。　　It　may　take　time　for

an　earthborn　saint　to　become　acclimated　to　the　celestial　ether；that

is；　if　time　can　be　said　to　exist　for　a　disembodied　spirit。　　We　are

all　sentenced　to　capital　punishment　for　the　crime　of　living；　and

though　the　condemned　cell　of　our　earthly　existence　is　but　a　narrow

and　bare　dwelling…place；　we　have　adjusted　ourselves　to　it；　and　made

it　tolerably　comfortable　for　the　little　while　we　are　to　be　confined

in　it。　　The　prisoner　of　Chillon



　　　　　〃regained　＇his＇　freedom　with　a　sigh；〃



and　a　tender…hearted　mortal　might　be　pardoned　for　looking　back；　like

the　poor　lady　who　was　driven　from　her　dwelling…place　by　fire　and

brimstone；　at　the　home　he　was　leaving　for　the　〃undiscovered　country。〃



On　the　other　hand；　a　good　many　persons；　not　suicidal　in　their

tendencies；　get　more　of　life　than　they　want。　　One　of　our　wealthy

citizens　said；　on　hearing　that　a　friend　had　dropped　off　from

apoplexy；　that　it　made　his　mouth　water　to　hear　of　such　a　case。　　It

was　an　odd　expression；　but　I　have　no　doubt　that　the　fine　old

gentleman　to　whom　it　was　attributed　made　use　of　it。　　He　had　had

enough　of　his　gout　and　other　infirmties。　　Swift's　account　of　the

Struldbrugs　is　not　very　amusing　reading　for　old　people；　but　some　may

find　it　a　consolation　to　reflect　on　the　probable　miseries　they　escape

in　not　being　doomed　to　an　undying　earthly　existence。



There　are　strange　diversities　in　the　way　in　which　different　old

persons　look　upon　their　prospects。　　A　millionaire　whom　I　well

remember　confessed　that　be　should　like　to　live　long　enough　to　learn

how　much　a　certain　fellow…citizen；　a　multimillionaire；　was　worth。

One　of　the；　three　nonagenarians　before　referred　to　expressed　himself

as　having　a　great　curiosity　about　the　new　sphere　of　existence　to

which　he　was　looking　forward。



The　feeling　must　of　necessity　come　to　many　aged　persons　that　they

have　outlived　their　usefulness；　that　they　are　no　longer　wanted；　but

rather　in　the　way；　drags　on　the　wheels　rather　than　helping　them

forward。　　But　let　them　remember　the　often…quoted　line　of　Milton；



　　　　　〃They　also　serve　who　only　stand　and　wait。〃



This　is　peculiarly　true　of　them。　　They　are　helping　others　without

always　being　aware　of　it。　　They　are　the　shields；　the　breakwaters；　of

those　who　come　after　them。　　Every　decade　is　a　defence　of　the　one　next

behind　it。　　At　thirty　the　youth　has　sobered　into　manhood；　but　the

strong　men　of　forty　rise　in　almost　unbroken　rank　between　him　and　the

approaches　of　old　age　as　they　show　in　the　men　of　fifty。　　At　forty　he

looks　with　a　sense　of　security　at　the　strong　men　of　fifty；　and　sees

behind　them　the　row　of　sturdy　sexagenarians。　　When　fifty　is　reached；

somehow　sixty　does　not　look　so　old　as　it　once　used　to；　and　seventy　is

still　afar　off。　　After　sixty　the　stern　sentence　of　the　burial　service

seems　to　have　a　meaning　that　one　did　not　notice　in　former　years。

There　begins　to　be　something　personal　about　it。　　But　if　one　lives　to

seventy　he　soon　gets　used　to　the　text　with　the　threescore　years　and

ten　in　it；　and　begins　to　count　himself　among　those　who　by　reason　of

strength　are　destined　to　reach　fourscore；　of　whom　he　can　see　a　number

still　in　reasonably　good　condition。　　The　octogenarian　loves　to　read

about　people　of　ninety　and　over。　　He　peers　among　the　asterisks　of　the

triennial　catalogue　of　the　University　for　the　names　of　graduates　who

have　been　seventy　years　out　of　college　and　remain　still　unstarred。

He　is　curious　about　the　biographies　of　centenarians。　　Such　escapades

as　those　of　that　terrible　old　sinner　and　ancestor　of　great　men；　the

Reverend　Stephen　Bachelder；　interest　him　as　they　never　did　before。

But　he　cannot　deceive　himself　much　longer。　　See　him　walking　on　a

level　surface；　and　he　steps　off　almost　as　well　as　ever；　but　watch　him

coming　down　a　flight　of　stairs；　and　the　family　record　could　not　tell

his　years　more　faithfully。　　He　cut　you　dead；　you　say？　　Did　it　occur

to　you　that　he　could　not　see　you　clearly　enough　to　know　you　from　any

other　son　or　daughter　of　Adam？　　He　said　he　was　very　glad　to　hear　it；

did　he；　when　you　told　him　that　your　beloved　grandmother　had　just

deceased？　　Did　you　happen　to　remember　that　though　he　does　not　allow

that　he　is　deaf；　he　will　not　deny　that　he　does　not　hear　quite　so　well

as　he　used　to？　　No　matter　about　his　failings；　the　longer　he　holds　on

to　life；　the　longer　he　makes　life　seem　to　all　the　living　who　follow

him；　and　thus　he　is　their　constant　benefactor。



Every　stage　of　existence　has　its　special　trials　and　its　special

consolations。　　Habits　are　the　crutches　of　old　age；　by　the　aid　of

these　we　manage　to　hobble　along　after　the　mental　joints　are　stiff　and

the　muscles　rheumatic；　to　speak　metaphorically；that　is　to　say；　when

every　act　of　self…determination　costs　an　effort　and　a　pang。　　We

become　more　and　more　automatic　as　we　grow　older；　and　if　we　lived　long

enough　we　should　come　to　be　pieces　of　creaking　machinery　like

Maelzel's　chess　player；or　what　that　seemed　to　be。



Emerson　was　sixty…three　years　old；　the　year　I　have　referred　to　as

that　of　the　grand　climacteric；　when　he　read　to　his　son　the　poem　he

called　〃Terminus；〃　beginning：



　　　　　　　　　〃It　is　time　to　be　old；

　　　　　　　　　　To　take　in　sail。

　　　　　　　　　　The　God　of　bounds；

　　　　　　　　　　Who　sets　to　seas　a　shore；

　　　　　　　　　　Came　to　me　in　his　fatal　rounds

　　　　　　　　　　And　said；　'No　more！'〃



It　was　early　in　life　to　feel　that　the　productive　stage　was　over；　but

he　had　received　warning　from　within；　and　did　not　wish　to　wait　for

outside　advices。　　There　is　all　the　difference　in　the　world　in　the

mental　as　in　the　bodily　constitution　of　different　individuals。　　Some

must　〃take　in　sail〃　sooner；　some　later。　　We　can　get　a　useful　lesson

from　the　American　and　the　English　elms　on　our　Common。　　The　American

elms　are　quite　bare；　and　have　been　so　for　weeks。　　They　know　very　well

that　they　are　going　to　have　storms　to　wrestle　with；　they　have　not

forgotten　the　gales　of　September　and　the　tempests　of　the　late　autumn

and　early　winter。　　It　is　a　hard　fight　they　are　going　to　have；　and

they　strip　their　coats　off　and　roll　up　their　shirt…sleeves；　and　show

themselves　bare…armed　and　ready　for　the　contest。　　The　English　elms

are　of　a　more　robust　bui