Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-01-04
For the Gazette.

know of no commodity so little in de-
mand, and of such abundance in the mar
ket, as accomplished single ladies. As
candidate for the honorable state of matri-
mony, my thoughts have been much en-
ployed to account for the limited number of
applicants at the Hymeneal store-house
and have been compelled to refer it to the
scarcity of good paper, (which may be
styled profession, or promise to pay) and the
almost total absence of silUer and gold. An
article of known value will seldom be dis
posed OF alta sacrifice but for the purpose of
buoying up sinking credit and SO long as
the present deprecated state of male excel
-ience continues, | predict, MIR. Editor, that
ladies who have proper confidence in their
own mental and personal endowments, will
decline the offers Of the foplings and dandies
OF the day | considerit an unfortunate cir
cumstance for your sex, that there is pre-
Sailing sentiment of disrespect fer the ma
tural powers of mind in women. The lit,
tie boy is scarcely slipped from his leading
strings before he is taught to feel himself
lord efthe creation, and to look upon us as
bergs of an inferior order. This sentiment
pgec!udes the idea of necessity for labo-
nous application; il is deemed unnecessa-
~ in order 10 ensure an elevation above
those to whom nature has denied equal Ia
Tents, and whose characteristic perseve-
rance, in other matters, can never render
them compeers sa literature Dith men,
This ungalfant opinion certainly cuts off
one source of emulation to you; and one of
the greatest men Of our country (Mr. Writ
has declared his conviction that the want
of this excitement has degraded the literary
standing of his own once justly proud state.
These few remarks are made, sir, prin-
cipally with view to excite in your male
readers, some enquiry into subject upon
which their pride has, perhaps, prevented
the exercise Of correct judgment. As an
advocate for the matrimonial compact, both
on my own account and that of my sex, |
feel interested that the reign of celibacy
should be arrested and l would propose,
as the first step towards remedy for the
evil, some suggestions from your correspon-
dents as to the probable cause less offensive
than the one have limited at
The domestic arts of preparing buildings,
&c. humbly or proudly hope, Gas yo't
please constitute small part of our re-
commendatory Qualifications Cor The endear-
ing responsibilities of married life : they are
accomplishments necessarily derived from
the system of our domestic education and
il would be poor compliment to you TO
suppose, that on any subject of taste Or mo-
raj excellence, your discriminating minds
would not award to US the full measure of
our claims without the aid of our own vain
boastngs. have been further induced to
request your publishing these hastily writ
ten sentiments, in consequence OF reading,
with some modification, the humiating
and, perhaps, less considerate advertise
ment which appeared in the Gazette under
the reputed authorship of two females
Let The neglected diamond O the district re-
ceive all the polish of which it is suscepti-
BILE. and the ladies will at least have the
credit OF rejecting some Of it, briliance.
ELIZA.