PRAYING FOR DEATH

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 November 1932, Page 3

PRAYING FOR DEATH

TWENTY YEARS TOO OLTY’

Samuel Claire, of Northampton, should have died 20 years ago. Every night he prays: "Will the Lord be pleased to take me before morn'iiig.” Ho is 100' years old, and saws' he is ashamed of it. “What is there to live for after eighty?” he said on September 4. when a visjtpr called with birthday congratulations. “Eighty is the age when' all morr sksUld die- to give the young a chance afrd to' spare other people from nursing you. Not that he needs any nursing. He

still climbs a stile to the spinney near his cottage at Kingscliffe to saw wood for his fire. He still shaves himself with an open razor. “There is no happiness in being 100,” he said. “One is only an object -of wonderfh'e'ht.” . ■ : ■ ' . Mr. Claire, who has neYer been to a cinema, says he believes that education has spoiled the country. He prefers the old days, When his father brought up' eleven children on 13/- a week. He points proudly to the example of the late Henry Labouchere, who resigned his parliamentary seat at Northampton, with the words: “I think that after 70 every man lags ’' superfluous orr the -stage! ! d'f •lifenaß’d Y' impedes the promotion and happiness of younger people,”