The Glory of Age
“What is the glory of age?” I said,
“A hoard of gold and a few dear friends?
When you’ve reached the day that you look ahead
And see the place where your journey ends,
When Time has robbed you of youthful might—
What is the secret of your delight?”
And an old man smiled as he answered me:
“The glory of age isn’t gold or friends,
When we’ve reached the valley of Soon-To-Be
And note the place where our journey ends;
The glory of age, be it understood,
Is a boy out there who is making good.
“The greatest joy that can come to man
When his sight is dim and his hair is gray;
The greatest glory that God can plan
To cheer the lives of the old to-day,
When they share no more in the battle yell,
Is a boy out there who is doing well.”