had retired at seventy-nine, we'd never have heard of him. If
Moses had retired to a checkerboard in the grocery store or to pitching
horseshoes up the alley and talking about "ther winter of fifty-four,"
he would have become the seventeenth mummy on the thirty-ninth row in
the green pickle-jar!

Imagine Moses living today amidst the din of the high school orations
on "The Age of the Young Man" and the Ostler idea that you are going
down hill at fifty. Imagine Moses living on "borrowed time" when he
becomes the leader of the Israelite host.

I would see his scandalized friends gather around him. "Moses! Moses!
what is this we hear? You going to lead the Israelites to the Promised
Land? Why, Moses, you are an old man. Why don't you act like an old
man? You are liable to drop off any minute. Here is a pair of slippers.
And keep out of the night air. It is so hard on old folks."

I think I would hear Moses say, "No, no, I am just beginning to see
what to do. Watch things happen from now on. Children of Israel,
forward, march!"

I see Moses at eighty starting for the Wilderness so fast Aaron can
hardly keep up. Moses is eighty-five and busier and more enthusiastic
than ever. The people say, "Isn't Moses dead?" "No." "Well, he ought to
be dead, for he is old enough."

They appoint a committee to bury Moses. You cannot do anything in
America without a committee. The committee gets out the invitations and
makes all the arrangements for a gorgeous funeral next Thursday. They
get ready the resolutions of
respect--"Whereas,--Whereas,--Resolved,--Resolved."

Then I see the committee waiting on Moses. That is what a committee
does--it "waits" on something or other. And this committee goes up to
General Moses' private office. It is his busy day. They have to stand
in line and wait their turn. When they get up to Moses' desk, the great
prophet says, "Boys, what is it? Cut it short, I'm busy."

The committee begins to weep. "General Moses, you are a very old man.
You are eighty-five years old and full of honors. We are the committee
duly authorized to give you gorgeous burial. The funeral is to be next
Thursday. Kindly die."

I see Moses look over his appointments. "Next Thursday? Why, boys,
every hour is taken next Thursday. I simply cannot attend my funeral
next Thursday."

They cannot bury Moses. He cannot attend. You cannot bury anybody who
is too busy to attend his own funeral! You cannot bury anybody until he
consent