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expression from my friend Weir Mitchell。
Our eminent classmate； the late Professor Benjamin Peirce； showed by
numerical comparison that the men of superior ability outlasted the
average of their fellow…graduates。 He himself lived a little beyond
his threescore and ten years。 James Freeman Clarke almost reached
the age of eighty。 The eighth decade brought the fatal year for
Benjamin Robbins Curtis； the great lawyer； who was one of the judges
of the Supreme Court of the United States； for the very able chief
justice of Massachusetts； George Tyler Bigelow； and for that famous
wit and electric centre of social life； George T。 Davis。 At the last
annual dinner every effort was made to bring all the survivors of the
class together。 Six of the ten living members were there； six old
men in the place of the thirty or forty classmates who surrounded the
long； oval table in 1859； when I asked； 〃Has there any old fellow got
mixed with the boys？ 〃11 boys〃 whose tongues were as the vibrating
leaves of the forest； whose talk was like the voice of many waters；
whose laugh was as the breaking of mighty waves upon the seashore。
Among the six at our late dinner was our first scholar； the thorough…
bred and accomplished engineer who held the city of Lawrence in his
brain before it spread itself out along the banks of the Merrimac。
There； too； was the poet whose National Hymn； 〃My Country； 't is of
thee；〃 is known to more millions； and dearer to many of them； than
all the other songs written since the Psalms of David。 Four of our
six were clergymen； the engineer and the present writer completed the
list。 Were we melancholy？ Did we talk of graveyards and epitaphs？
No；we remembered our dead tenderly； serenely； feeling deeply what
we had lost in those who but a little while ago were with us。 How
could we forget James Freeman Clarke； that man of noble thought and
vigorous action； who pervaded this community with his spirit； and was
felt through all its channels as are the light and the strength that
radiate through the wires which stretch above us？ It was a pride and
a happiness to have such classmates as he was to remember。 We were
not the moping； complaining graybeards that many might suppose we
must have been。 We had been favored with the blessing of long life。
We had seen the drama well into its fifth act。 The sun still warmed
us； the air was still grateful and life…giving。 But there was
another underlying source of our cheerful equanimity； which we could
not conceal from ourselves if we had wished to do it。 Nature's
kindly anodyne is telling upon us more and more with every year。 Our
old doctors used to give an opiate which they called 〃the black
drop。〃 It was stronger than laudanum； and； in fact； a dangerously
powerful narcotic。 Something like this is that potent drug in
Nature's pharmacopoeia which she reserves for the time of need；the
later stages of life。 She commonly begins administering it at about
the time of the 〃grand climacteric；〃 the ninth septennial period； the
sixty…third year。 More and more freely she gives it； as the years go
on； to her grey…haired children； until； if they last long enough；
every faculty is benumbed； and they drop off quietly into sleep under
its benign influence。
Do you say that old age is unfeeling？ It has not vital energy enough
to supply the waste of the more exhausting emotions。 Old Men's
Tears； which furnished the mournful title to Joshua Scottow's
Lamentations； do not suggest the deepest grief conceivable。 A little
breath of wind brings down the raindrops which have gathered on the
leaves of the tremulous poplars。 A very slight suggestion brings the
tears from Marlborough's eyes； but they are soon over； and he is
smiling again as an allusion carries him back to the days of Blenheim
and Malplaquet。 Envy not the old man the tranquillity of his
existence； nor yet blame him if it sometimes looks like apathy。
Time； the inexorable； does not threaten him with the scythe so often
as with the sand…bag。 He does not cut； but he stuns and stupefies。
One's fellow…mortals can afford to be as considerate and tender with
him as Time and Nature。
There was not much boasting among us of our present or our past； as
we sat together in the little room at the great hotel。 A certain
amount of self…deception is quite possible at threescore years and
ten； but at three score years and twenty Nature has shown most of
those who live to that age that she is earnest； and means to
dismantle and have done with them in a very little while。 As for
boasting of our past； the laudator temporis acti makes but a poor
figure in our time。 Old people used to talk of their youth as if
there were giants in those days。 We knew some tall men when we were
young； but we can see a man taller than any one among them at the
nearest dime museum。 We had handsome women among us； of high local
reputation； but nowadays we have professional beauties who challenge
the world to criticise them as boldly as Phryne ever challenged her
Athenian admirers。 We had fast horses；did not 〃Old Blue〃 trot a
mile in three minutes？ True； but there is a three…year…old colt just
put on the track who has done it in a little more than two thirds of
that time。 It seems as if the material world had been made over
again since we were boys。 It is but a short time since we were
counting up the miracles we had lived to witness。 The list is
familiar enough： the railroad； the ocean steamer； photography； the
spectroscope； the telegraph； telephone； phonograph； anesthetics；
electric illumination；with such lesser wonders as the friction
match； the sewing machine； and the bicycle。 And now； we said； we
must have come to the end of these unparalleled developments of the
forces of nature。 We must rest on our achievements。 The nineteenth
century is not likely to add to them； we must wait for the twentieth
century。 Many of us； perhaps most of us； felt in that way。 We had
seen our planet furnished by the art of man with a complete nervous
system： a spinal cord beneath the ocean； secondary centres；
ganglions；in all the chief places where men are gathered together；
and ramifications extending throughout civilization。 All at once； by
the side of this talking and light…giving apparatus； we see another
wire stretched over our heads； carrying force to a vast metallic
muscular system；a slender cord conveying the strength of a hundred
men； of a score of horses； of a team of elephants。 The lightning is
tamed and harnessed； the thunderbolt has become a common carrier。 No
more surprises in this century！ A voice whispers； What next？
It will not do for us to boast about our young days and what they had
to show。 It is a great deal better to boast of what they could not
show； and； strange as it may seem； there is a certain satisfaction in
it。 In these days of electric lighting； when you have only to touch
a button and your parlor or bedroom is instantly