Speak gently to the aged one,
Grieve not the care-worn heart;
The sands of life are nearly run—
Let such in peace depart!
53
Elderly people look back upon the friends, relatives and acquaintances of thirty, forty or fifty years ago, and say, "There are no friends now-a-days like the old friends of long ago." It is natural for them to think this way, particularly when most of the old friends are dead; but the fact is, that there are friends as true now as ever.
54
These are the effects of doting age,
Vain doubts, and idle cares, and over-caution.
—Dryden.
55
Do you seek Alcides' equal? There is none but himself.
—Seneca.