On losing childhood, youth takes hold of man, but soon old age wrestles and overcomes youth. In that gaining of youth there was perfect joy and mirth, but with the attainment of old age there is complete misery and sorrow.

Old age has rightly been termed a curse, man loses his previous beauty; the skin shrivels up; the sight weakens; the joints of his bones stiffen; the teeth fall out and have to be replaced by dentures; he loses his hair and weakness takes hold of a once strong, active and healthy man.

At this stage, man tries to deceive himself that he is still young and strong, though he fully realizes that his part on the stage of life is coming to an end. He wants to enjoy the things of his youth and tries to act young, but he is rudely checked by the hand of weakness. Appetite lessens with age. His hours of sleep are shortened; thus he is awake for long periods during which he can do nothing useful. Life at this period is very boring.

Now people have lost interest in him, so he mostly lives in a world of his own where the only people are men of his own age, the very sight of whom recall what he is trying to forget. One compensation he might have … youth might respect him, those in his own family circle particularly.

Days, which flew past very quickly, now drag. He can feel time passing. Old age has got a firm grip on him, and gradually he is confined to his room. He finds it very exhausting to move about. He now forgets the world and becomes very religious. His hours are spent in silent contemplation and prayer.

The thought of death is sometimes very terrifying but mostly it brings relief to him, as this is his escape. He looks forward to it and one day he breathes his last, life flies from his body and leaves it a numb, pale shell.