Jasper County Democrat, Volume 20, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 August 1917 — PHILOSOPHY OF WALT MASON [ARTICLE]

PHILOSOPHY OF WALT MASON

With other graybeards I recline beneath my tig tree and my vine, when sounds the evening bell; we gossip, and we’re all agreed that this old world has gohe to seed, that nothing now is well. “The children of these modern days pursue their idle, trifling ways,” old Gaffer Biffkin cries; “they scoot around in motor cars, turn night to day, smoke ' rank cigars, and dance, dad bing their eyes.’’ And ever since the world was new, this sort of mournful howdydo came from the ancient bore; no doubt old- Noah talked that way, when he reposed, at close of day, beside his houseboat door. I well recall when I was young, how every village Solon flung this kind of bunk around; we youngsters were a ribald crew; when we grew up, the graybeards knew, in prison we’d be found. No doubt the tired and crippled steed, so old it cannot chew its feed, regards the colt with scorn; why does it gambol and cavort? Why does it run and kick and snort? It should be plowing corn. The old man’s tired of play and fun; his eyes are on the setting sun, sad thoughts disturb his soul; so he assembles at the store with other graybeards, three or four, and springs his rigmarole.