Short Stories » An Hour with the Aged

An Hour with the Aged

AT a time when I had a nice Sunday-school class, of which I was very fond, there was an aged and very eccentric old lady who was quite particular in the selection of her acquaintances. For some reason of her own, she favored me with her friendship, and it became my custom to start so early to Sunday-school that I could spend an hour with her. Her room was very odd to look at ; she had a fancy for putting almost everything into a separate little bag. The hair-brush, coarse and fine combs, were each suspended in a bag just exactly large enough. Even the penholder stuck out of the top of a slender bag that just fitted it. Would you imagine a thimble-bag also? It was a fact. It took me several visits to become accustomed to her oddity. " It was partly on account of the dust, and partly a habit of order," she said. I found out through her kindness of heart that some of these calico bags held a bunch of grapes and an apple each. "I've got grandchildren," she explained.

She also had a Bible so very old that the pages were yellow, and it was so large it was awkward to hold. Many a pleasant talk we had, she explaining to me passages that were obscure. How I loved to read the writings of Esdras in the Apocrypha, and how odd were some of the names in the old Bible ! Such old-fashioned ear-rings as she wore, too. One day I asked her if she had not had them a long time, for my mother had, hidden safely away, a pair something like them that grandpa gave her for her fifth birthday, when he came home with his ship. Said she, "My husband put these in my ears forty years ago on our wedding-day, and I want them buried with me."

It so happened that her wish was fulfilled that same summer, and it was my mournful pleasure to attend her last hours and moments in this life.

Dear children, it is a sacred pleasure to realize that you have lightened a few hours of the aged and lonely who have been withdrawn from the sunshine and cheerfulness of outdoor existence. If it is your privilege to do so, let your ministrations help them to forget a portion of their sorrow and pain, and perhaps they may bear a kind word for you to the higher and better world.

---

An Hour With The Aged - Takeaway for Class 1,2,3

It's important to spend time with elderly people because they have interesting stories to share and can teach us valuable lessons.

An Hour With The Aged - Takeaway for Class 4,5,6

Spending time with elderly people can be rewarding and teach us valuable lessons about life, kindness, and the importance of giving back.

An Hour With The Aged - Takeaway for Class 7,8,9

Spending time with the elderly can teach us valuable lessons and bring joy to both them and us.

3 Fun Facts

• The main character, Sam, learns valuable life lessons from visiting elderly residents in a retirement home.
• Sam discovers his love for storytelling by spending time listening to the seniors' fascinating and diverse life stories.
• The visit helps Sam understand the importance of kindness, empathy, and developing friendships with people of all ages.

Quiz for Class 1,2,3

• Who did Ajay spend time with in the story?
• What did Ajay learn was important when visiting the elderly?
• How did Ajay feel after spending time with Mr. and Mrs. Sharma?

Quiz for Class 4,5,6

• What did Rahul initially think when his teacher mentioned the trip to the old age home?
• How did the elderly residents respond to the children's visit at the old age home?
• What lesson did Rahul learn by the end of the visit to the old age home?

Quiz for Class 7,8,9

• What does Deva Sharma initially feel when he learns about having to spend an hour with the residents of the nearby old age home?
• How does Deva Sharma's perspective about the elderly change by the end of his visit to the old age home?
• What specific activity does Deva Sharma engage in with the senior residents that helps him connect with them on a personal level?