The middle-aged are allowed to drive and go to the
theatre, and are tolerated at weddings on the ground that they may have
given a wedding present, and at garden parties where there is no lack
of space, but their room is considered better than their company
everywhere else, in spite of the pretty speeches one sometimes hears as
to the charm of entertainments where all ages are gathered together,
and the glory of growing old gracefully as they do in England. I am
not complaining, for between you and me we wouldn't be hired to go to
one-tenth of the places to which we ought to be invited, so far as our
physical state is concerned; but it would be soothing to be asked
occasionally and not to be treated as though we were moribund, and
bidden only to Class Day spreads and to church weddings without a card
for the reception. Once in a while lately Josephine and I have taken
it into our heads to put in an appearance at the Assemblies, where,
though we had been respectfully and cordially received, it has been
evident to us that we were regarded as social Rip Van Winkles, and that
at least half the company were inquiring who in thunder we were, and
the remainder, who did know us, were wondering why in time we came.
A remark of Josephine's served to crystallize these reflections.
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