Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1851-04-24
ntisrellancous.
OLD MAIDS,
OR A MISTAKE ABOUT MARRIAGE.
NY MIS- 4. 4 MALI.-


as myself; aud perhaps she was, almost.
But though had natural antipathy TO
spelling-book and no Gondness iof spending
long summers afternoon IN poking a nee
die ia and out of bit OF calico though
considered patchwork all foolishness, aud
gusscts as utter superAalses, though / was
called simpeton for asking my mother
why she cut cloth up aud then sewed 1t to-
geiher again, still, was fond Of picking
UP ideas aiier my own fashion When the
wise people around NE supposed was think
Ing Of nothing but my play, my two little
ears was open to every word spoken IN my
hearing And many was the word impress
sed on my memory which the speaker for
got next moment. The talk around me was
my real education, as it is Of ali children,
send them to what school YOU may.
When | was ten years old, ! had enc SIS
ter aged fifteen, and another seventeen
and, as usual with girls at that aye, they
had a set of cronles, some very like aud
some quite unlike them ia character One
afternoon, as was tending my doll Ophe-
liza, who was sick ~ bed, | heard a BRISK
discussion among these girls, which, may
almost say, decided my fate for hie
The first words that caught my attention
came from an animated, romantic grl Of
sixteen, scoldng because the heroine Of
novel she had ust read was ielt unmarried
at The end Of the story. What surprise wa
expressed at this catastrophe what lndig-
nation
One Of my sisters did not seem to SYM
plthize with tins burst OF d,sapprobauon.
aud then came the plthy question, What
tf.
Mary said, very quietly, Yes : aud sister
Ellen added, So would
Tneu such looks OF amazement aud la-
oreduhty. You can't mean what you say,
cried one Ii ! dad not know you too well
to think you hypocriie,-' said another
Why, It was mcaHf that all women should
be married exclaimed a third. Then
why are they not all married !! asked Mary,
with her usual simplicity.
Eager aud hot grew the controversy, aud
f lost not word, while Opheha lay fiat on
her back, her stiff, KID arms sticking out,
and her Group quite forgotten. Then first
did | take notice of that terrible combina-
ton of monnsyliables - Old Mad In
how many different tones OF contempt, dread
and depreciation, did | hear II uttered by
those Juyeuile voices What anecdotes
came forth about cross old maids, and fidg-
ely old maids, aud ugly, and dressy, and
learned, and plous, aud flirting and ms
chiel-makIug old mald. Never did a beyy
of regular hlty-years-old spinsiers utter So
much scandal 100 one afternoon Us was pour
ed forth by these blooming young creatures.
Two ar three friends Of my mothers, whom
/ bad always cherished IN Any innocent al
iect,ous, because they always talked So
pleasantly, and we're SO kind TO me, now APP
pelrcd like new personages. Ailss a. was
80 ugly, she never could have had an offer 9
Miss \ dressed 30 shabby, and wore green
spectaeies 10 look literary Aud Miss y.
was for ever talking about sunday-schooI
and society meetings, ard so on.
on may be sure thal The next time these
ladies' came To oar house, / sciuncd very
closely the face OF Miss T., face had al
Ways loved before but now | saw that II
was exceedingly paln. / looked hard al
Miss Us drab-cooured bonnet and shawl
y perceived that they we're old fashioned and
ordrnury, and that her green spectacles
looked pedautc Then Miss X. beside
whom had always sqeezed ia upon the So
ia, encouraged by her kindly snIie aud de-
lighted wilh Ter conyersatlon,-ho unIn
teresllng she lad become They we're al
old maids
Utmost be observed that my sis;ers-right
good, sensible, domestic girls they were
had no part ia this bewiidermeut OF my
young IDEAS. They were IN the minority
so took 1t for granted they were IA INK
wrong Besides, what children are ever :,
much influenced 10y what IS uttered IA Tx
familiar voices of their own family, as bl
the words of comparative strangers Take
care Of what you say at friends house
with the young folks catching up every ran
oom sentiment you drop. Many JudlcIou
/, mothers morning exhortatlon has BEEF
blown 60 the moon, by some light remarl
from a dinner guest, who did not after al
mean TO give has real opinion, or who's
opinion was not worth having.
And nov assure YOU, my education
went on rapidly 1t speriectly marvellous
in how many ways, aud by what dliieren
sorts of people, young git Is taught ths
it is terrible thing to be an Old maid
Fools never show their folly more than i
their hackneyed jests upon this topic; bu
what shall We say of the wise folks VINO 81
almost as often IN the same way Whi
shall we say of the refinement of him VIII
i gchucWauil IN tnougpt ana expression O
all subjects but this of the humanity an
chivalry of hun who assalls The delenceless
of the Justice of him who taxes ella,
with the faults of individuals, and wounc
with that meanest of weapons "a sneer 2
or of the Christianity of him who indrec
ly censures and ridlcules one of the arrang
ments OF Providence
| learned my lesson thoroughly, for
came 10 me in some shape every week
read II in every novel and newspaper, an
heard 1t from every lip. The very men wi
spoke truth and sense on the subject, som
times neutralized 1t by an idle Jest IN son
moment of levity, and the jest drove out Il
truth from my young heart. AT eighteen,
lived only for the lgnoble purpose ca
not say-ofget,iug married: but what cou
= have been the ruling wish of one who HI
&c been taught by society TO dread celiba
on worse than death dare say beiray,
is' il IN the ballroom in the street, eyerywheI
nc | dare say was duly laughed at.
,es AT last, quaklng on the verge of slx-an
10 twenty, had an oher--a most absurd OF
lerl ] was six years older than my lover, had I