The literary echo. (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1851, 1851-08-14

these ladies came to our house, [ scanned
very closely the face of Miss a., face l
had always loved before but now saw
it was exceedingly plain. I looked hard
at Miss Y's. drab colorcd bonnet and shawl,
perceived that they were old fashioned
and ordinary, and, that her green specta-
cles looked pedantic. Then Miss x, be-
side whom | had always squeezed in upon
the sofa, encouraged by her kindly smile
and delighted with her conversation-how
uninteresting she had become! They
were old RAIDS,
1t must be observed that my sisters
right good, sensible, domestic girls they
were--had no part in this bewilderment
of my young ideas, They were in the mi
nority, so l took it for granted they were
in the wrong. Besides, what children are
ever as much Influenced by what is utter
ed in the familiar voices in their own fam
lily, as by the words of comparative stran-
gers.
learned my lesson thoroughly, for it
came to me in some shape every week. |
read it in every novel and newspaper, and
heard it from every lip. The very man
who spoke truth and sense on the subject,
sometimes neutralizcd it by an idle jest in
some moment of levity, aud the jest drove
out the truth from my young heart.
At eighteen, lived only for the ignoble
purpose-I cannot bear to say-of get
ting married; but what could have been
the ruling wish of one who had been
taught by society to dread eelibacy worse
than death dare say betrayed it in the
ballroom, in the street, every where. l
dare say l was duly laughed at.
At last, quaking on the verge of six and
twenty, l had an offer--a most absurd one.
I was six years older than my lover, had
ten times as much sense, probably, ex-
cepting on one point. l knew that he was
rather wild, as the gentle phrase goes in
short l neither loved nor respected him;
but I was willing to marry him, because
then 1 should be Mrs. Somebody, and
should not be an old maid.
My parents said "No," positively. OF
course I thought them unreasonable and
cruel, and made myself very miserable.
Still, it was something to have had an
offer" of any kind, and my lips were not
Theoretically sealed. had several conf
dants, who took care that all my acquain-
tance should know the comfortable fact
that | had refused Mr.. S.
Invent on with increasing uneasiness a
little longer, not seeking how to be useful,
or trying to find out for what good purpose
| was made. Neither was looking FOR a
companion who would sympathise with my
better aspirations and elevate my whole
character, for had 10 right views of mar
riage I was simply gazing about in anx-
ious suspense upon every unmarried man
of my acquaintance, for one who would
lift me out of that dismal Valley of HUI
initiation into which felt myself desccn-
ding. Had 1 met Apollyon himself there
with the question on his lips, l believe |
should nave said " Yes"
At thirty-six / wore more pink ribands
than ever, was seen every where that a
respectable woman could 60, wondering
why girls went into company so young
found l was growing sharp faced and sharp
spoken, aud was becoming old-maidish in
the worst sense of the word, because I was
an old maid against my will. 1 forgot that
celibacy never effects the temper.
My sisters be it remembered, was older
than 1. They, too, were single. But
they had lived more domestic lives than /,
had read fewer works Of fiction, had been