"The Aged Mother" by Basho The Old Man at the Bridge" by Ernest Hemingway

In the aged mother, the elderly have been deemed worthless and are decreed to be abandoned on the mountain.... left to die. Her son, however, is unable to do so.... he loves his mother and he recognizes her wisdom, as well as the worth of her experience. Over the course of the story, the man's deception (keeping his mother with him) is discovered, and as a result, he is jailed. In learning about the man's deception, the ruler came to the realization that his decree was a mistake, and he admits that “with the crown of snow, there cometh wisdom!”

Unlike the old woman, the old man in "The Old Man at the Bridge", has no family... no one to look out for and care for him. He is offerred no assistance, he has nowhere to go. The old man's situation is a result of war, unlike the old woman's, which is the result of a decree. The old man's presence on the bridge affords him no protection, he simply wants to go home.

The second part of your question calls for "your" opinion.