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At Age 70 (birth)
'Where in God's name did you come from? Who are you?' burst out Mr. Button frantically. 'I can't tell you exactly who I am,' replied the querulous whine, 'because I've only been born a few hours--but my last name is certainly Button.' 'You lie! You're an imposter!' The old man turned wearily to the nurse. 'Nice way to welcome a new-born child,' he complained in a weak voice. . . 'You're wrong, Mr. Button,' said the nurse severely. 'This is your child, and you'll have to make the best of it. . '" -
At Age 65 (5)
". . . he was sent to kindergarden. . . He was inclined to drowse off to sleep in the middle of these tasks a habit which both irritated and frightened his young teacher. To his relief, she complained to his parents, and he was removed from the school. The Roger Buttons told their friends that they felt he was too young." -
At Age 58 (12)
"By the time he was twelve years old his parents had grown used to him. Indeed, so strong is the force of custom that they no longer felt that he was different from any other child--except when some curious anomaly reminded them of the fact." -
Ate Age 52 (18)
"When Benjamin was eighteen was eighteen he was erect as a man of fifty; he had more hair and it was a dark gray; his step was firm, his voice had lost its cracked quaver and descended to a healthy baritone." -
At Age 50 (20)
". . . he began "going out socially"--that is, his father insisted on taking him to several fashionable dances. Roger Button was now fifty, and he and his son were more and more companionable--in fact, since Benjamin had ceased to dye his hair (which was still grayish) they appeared about the same age, and could have passed for brothers." -
Ate Age 20 (50)
". . . a man, apparently about twenty years old, entered himself as a freshman at Harvard University in Cambridge. He did not make the mistake of announcing that he would never see fifty again nor did he mention the fact that his son had been graduated from the institution ten years before." -
At Age 54 (16)
"In his senior year he did not make the team at all. He had grown so slight and frail that one day he was taken by some sophmores for a freshman, an incident which humiliated him terribly." -
At Age 15 (55)
". . . 'when visitors are in the house I want you to call me "Uncle"--not "Roscoe" but "Uncle," do you understand? It looks absurd for a boy of fifteen to call me by my first name. Perhaps you better call me "Uncle" all the time, so you'll get used to it.' With a harsh look at his father, Roscoe turned away. . . ." -
At Age 13 (57)
"America had joined the Allied cause during the preceding month, and Benjamin had wanted to enlist, but, alas, sixteen was the minimum age, and he did not look that old. His true age, which was fifty-seven, would have disqualified him anyway." -
At Age 10 (60)
". . . Roscoe's first child was born. During the attendant festivities, however, no one thought it 'the thing' to mention that the little grubby boy, apparently about ten years of age who played around the house with lead soldiers and a miniature circus, was the new baby's own grandfather." -
At Age 5 (65)
"Five years later Roscoe's little boy had grown old enough to play childish games with little Benjamin under the supervision of the same nurse. Roscoe took them both to kindergarden on the same day and Benjamin found that playing with little strips of colored paper, making mats and chains and beautiful designs, was the most fascinating game in the world." -
At Age 0 (70)
"Then it was all dark, and his white crib and the dim faces that moved above him, and the warm sweet aroma of the milk, faded out altogether from his mind."