it is imitated, often in ridiculous fashion. Why do we fear to grow older? Why do we strive to appear youthful when that glory has fled? Every period in man's life has its beauty and its particular strength. Childhood has its innocence, youth its ambition, and maturity its wisdom. Every stage is beautiful when it comes; to endeavor to prolong one period at the expense of another, is a failure, on the one hand, to comprehend the fundamental principle of existence which is a progressive onward movement, steadily advancing from one height to another; and a lack, on the other hand, of the realization that the power of nature is mightier than the will of man. Man may deceive his neighbor, and even there he is not always successful, but he can never deceive the law of nature. The current, time, carries away everything that may be placed to obstruct its course.

It is more becoming to man to advance in age, and endeavor to live up to his age, than to advance in years and conduct himself as if the current of his life had remained stationary. The chief reason why men and women fear to lose their youth is that maturity implies serious-mindedness, and they are unwilling to regard life seriously. All that is necessary to youth is to feel, to crowd the days and years with all manner of pleasurable sensations. A steady flow of excitation and emotion replaces the need for actual thought and a serious perspective of life. But such a process, in those of maturity, is a futile self-deception. We may not be willing to walk with time, but we are carried just the same. The fear of appearing old, which is absurdity, will give place to pleasure at the advance of age, if only man will himself advance with his years.

In many further fields of human relations than we have treated, does the fear of public opinion lay its grip. If men would fear the admonitions of their own conscience as they fear the censure of their