Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 1, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 April 1918 — PHILOSOPHY OF WALT MASON [ARTICLE]

PHILOSOPHY OF WALT MASON

I see the husky young man pass, and mutter to z myself, ‘‘Alas! How much I envy him! I’m bent beneath my weight pt years, the finish to my view appears, while he has strength aud vim.’’ But when I've pondered things a while, I reconstruct my faded smile, and wear it on my face; I say. Youth has more grief than age; more worry, trouble, futile rage—l’d not be in his place. I sit beneath my fig ,and vine, and sweet serenity is. mine, naught can disturb my calm; extinguished are the fires that burned my heart in youth, my eyes are turned to Gilead, its balm. The smoothest girl in town may pass, the most resplendent gorgeo-us lass, no rapture will she rouse; but that young man, I envied late, will spend the night before her gate, and fill the air with vows. He’ll lose his

sleep and appetite T and silly verses he’ll indite, on wedding bells intent; he'll fret and fume and rend his soul, and when she finds he’s blown his roll, she’ll wed some other gent. Oh, youth is full of rage and pain, and only age is safe and sane, consoling and sublime; and so I sit beside my door, and moralize an hour or more, and have the blamedest time.