Life — April 22, 1909 — page 18: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“LIFE: The Woman of Fifty THE woman of fifty! Where is she Lite be found? One eranes his neck for her in the churches, the theatres, among the busy throng of shoppers. It is hard to find her, and yet this elusive creature exists and, in fact, is far more prevalent a quantity on this cumbrous sphere than strategic evasion admits. There was a period when this Li centenary enveloped in cap and shawl gracefully relegated herself 10 the shelf, but in the general march of civilization and shifting of tides conditions have changed. Few women now ai thirty-five or forty according to state- However, the fifty is here to-day; — she dwells not in the past or future, but lives in a divine present, modish in attire and up to date, both mentally and physically. Glory be! From a senti- mentalist’s viewpoint the woman of fifty is a type interesting beyond compare. She is the woman who knows, who under- stands, who looks you squarely in. the eye as she grasps your hand. She is the woman whose tactfulness has long passed evasion and ain years beyond ment. woman of effusion to attain a full degree of sincerity. What- ever line she has pursued, her am- bition, her desire or inclination has developed into her real self as she is today. There is no turning back, the page is written, though not concluded. She is just ready for general usefulness in the world. Her sphere may have been compassed by four walls for years, since but now she is free to pursue her course in a broader field. Now with her ac- cumulated knowledge of life through ex- perience and real living, she stands ready to grasp any circumstance or con- dition in the most commendable man- rer. To her belong the strength, the force, the vitality that comes with a clear understanding. The ideal woman of fifty has in her face the satisfaction of a. self-approved BY ANNA STEVENSON course which glorifies her countenance to a surpassing loveliness. But this is ideal! There is a tragedy of the years that comes with an antagonistic develop- ment. This tragedy lives and shines forth in the life of the woman who has fought environment, clashed with God-given conditions and wrestled with fate. It dwells with the woman who has dragged out the weary years tear- ing down her natural vital force by icking against the pricks.” It thrives with the woman who has been unable to find the crumbs of comfort along her PATMER TIME—THE MAKE-UP MAN dreary way and who, in looking for the woes of life, has missed the everyday blessings. It clings to the woman who has believed that she could enjoy only those things that have been denied and “ GrorGE, who has, therefore, passed by the plain joys of living. Her attire may be as modish, her pompadour as extreme, her heels as high as the age demands, yet the lines, the scars, the marks are ail there, blemishes far deeper than art at its best can remove. The tragedy of the years appears. To the normal woman of fifty life has become a tangible thing, The practical side of life is now her very own. She finds solace in to-day’s comforts and revels in material cheer. Her disap- pointments, her griefs, her personal af- fiictions have faded into the general blend of sorrows which her experienced eyes have beheld through a broader view of life. Whatever er- rors, whatever fail- ings have existed, have gradually fallen aside to make way for abiding useful- ness. She enjoys her dinner, loves her neighbor and active participant in all that is good and acceptable in life. You may meet her in the churches, in the theatres, on the street. or in her home—the type is unmistakable to dis- cerning eyes. You will find her lovable and loving, generous in sympathy, kindly in expression and tender in sentiment. A woman at her best. is an 1M GOING TO DISCHARGE THAT NURSE; SHE IS ALWAYS TAKING THE CHILDRES NEAR THE WATER comicbooks.com