Chapter 55 of Charles Dickens' The Pickwick Papers includes an important obvervation about getting old, rendered by Mr. Weller the coachman when his son tries to hurry him in getting dressed to go out:

"Vait a minit, Sammy," replied Mr. Weller, who, having tied his shawl with the aid of a small glass that hung in the window, was now, by dint of the most wonderful exertions, struggling into his upper garments. "Vait a minit, Sammy; ven you grow as old as your father, you von't get into your veskit quite as easy as you do now, my boy."

"If I couldn't get into it easier than that, I'm blessed if I'd vear vun at all," rejoined his son.

"You think so now," said Mr. Weller, with the gravity of age, "but you'll find that as you get vider, you'll get viser. Vidth and visdom, Sammy, alvays grows together."

TopicLiterature - TopicHumor - TopicLife - 2006-07-05

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