THE OLD AND THE YOUNG

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 223, 14 June 1919, Page 9

THE OLD AND THE YOUNG

BRIDGING THE GAP OP IDEALS

Mrs. Louise Creighton, wife of' the late Bishop of London, writes these wiso words in the ''Contemporary Review":— "The real difficulty conies when old and middle-aged alike find "themselves nnllod upon to make room-for the.young. It is always difficult foi , - old and youni? to work together; yet.for the good of all each should be able to .mate their full contribution. This difficulty will be accentuated in the future.

"The young are discontented with the world as it is,. they are impatient for change, they will not be content with mere patching. The' old may ■be more inclined than ever to eay that since they have been in charge of a particular piece of'work for twenty, thirty years, oven since its very inception, they know all about it, and know that tho proposed change is an impossibility. The dead hand of the past will he heavier than ever unless we beware. But if the old are ivise they will realise that to lay that dead hand on the hopes of the i'lfture makes for no one's happiness, not oven their own.

"It is' so easy lo confuse experience ami prejudice) t'eni , and caution: The heavy hand conies <lo\vn when it is Hie ligiil touch of sympathy that is needed The fact Hint n lhin» Jias been thought or siiid or done twehly "purs ago is supposed 1 to (inish the (|iii-.*ion, and if the young still have enough hope and onprs.V to 'reopen it they are listened lo with .pained iac.e.-i ;inil anxious Jieurl?. ■ This attitude not .o'nly hinders but it increases the troubles of old iijfe. "Those who would be happy in old a«e must believe in Hie, future, welcome the visions of (he young and feel.,that the 'best they can do will be to remove hindrances out of. their way. The u.vperiemie of life should make men lole.rant of the most diverse opinions, siiit-: to him who observes it liinst, have shown how little, opinion matters in comparison with character.' It is the sincerity of the young in.search for truth that really matter?, not the wild, adventurous roads they may , choose .to travel in that .search."