Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1851-08-09
The Fear of Being an old Maid.
BY MRS. E.

finding fun in everything, and fully belevin
that hy doll was as sensible rs myself; an
perfap she was, almost-But though | had
in natural 'ntipathy to a spelling book, and ha
IN no 1ondhss forspending long summers a
ternoon iIpoking needle in and out of b
1 OF calico; fhough considered patchwork a
y foollshness,and gussets as utter superAuitc.
j. tho was caied simpleton for asking m
il mother why Size cut cloth up and then sewe
5, 1t together agan, still was fond of picking
up ideas after by own fashion. When tn
n wise people arotnd me supposed was think
ing OF nothing bu, my play, my two little ear
were open to everyword spoken in my hearing
F and many were the words impressed on my me
mory, which the speker forgot the next mo
ment.
When was ten years old, had one sister
aged fifteen, and another seventeen; and, as
usual with girls at that age, they had set of
cronies, some very like, aid some quite unlike
them in character. One afternoon, as | was
tending my doll, Ohpelia, who was sick in
bed, heard brisk discussion among these
girls, which, may almost say,decided my fate
for life.
The first words which caugh my attention
came from an animated romanti, GIRL OF six
teen, scolding because the heroim of q novel
she had just read was left unmarried at the
end of the story
| One of the sisters did not seem b sy1opa-
thize with this burst Of disapprobaton, and
then came the pitchy question
| What! would you be willing to lie an
old maid!'
Mary said very quietly, Eyes, and sister
Ellen added, so would j.
Then Surh lontS nf a,l ;,,.,
dullty. 'Iou can't mean what you say cried
one. If did not know you too we'll to think
You hypocrite, said another. why it was
meant that all women should be married. ex-
claimed third.
Then why are they not all married !" asked
Mary, with simplicity.
lost not word while Ophelia lay flat on her
back her stiff kid arms sticking out, and her
Group quite forgotten. Then first did | take
notice of that terrible combination of mono-
syables, Old Maid In how many different
tones OF contempt, dread and depreciation, did
hear 1t uttered by these juvenile voices
What anecdotes came forth about cross old
maids. and tidgety old maids, and ugly, and
dressy, and learned, and pious, and flirting, and
misunderstanding old maids! Never did bevy |
OF regular fifty year old spinsters utter SO !
much scandal IN one afternoon, as was poured |
forth BY these blooming young creatures.
Two or three friends OF my mother, whom
had always cherished in my innocent affec.
tons, because they talked so pleasantly and
were SO KIND to me, now appears like new per-
Miss Z. was SO ugly, she never
could have had an offer Miss Y. dressed so
shabby, and wore green spectac!es to look lit
:rary. And Miss A. was forever talking
bout Sunday school and Exeter Hall meet.
nSs, and so on.
You may be sure that the next time these
aides came to our house, scanned yery
losely the face of Miss T., face had always ,
owed before; but now saw that it was ex- ,
eedingly plain. looked bard at Miss Y's I
rab colored bonnet and shawl, perceived that i
hey were old fashioned and ordinary, and. that
er green spectacles looked pedantic Then {
liss X, beside whom had always squeezed
upon the sofa, encouraged by her kindly
mile and delighted with her Conversation a
ow undressing she had become! They t
'ere all old maids! r
1t must be observed that my sistcrs-right .
ood, sensible, domestic girls they were-had Ir
part in this bewilderment of my young o
eas. They were in the minority, so took It il
n granted they were in the wrong. Be-
des, what children are ever as much inhuen. IL
ID by what is uttered in the familiar voices in n
eIr own family, as by the words of compare I"
We strangers? Lei
learned my lesson thoroughly, for it came Ii
me in some shape every week. read it in p
'vels and newspapers, and heard it from every al
}. The very man who spoke truth and sense D,
the subject, sometimes neutralized it by an IL
e jest in some moment of leyty, and the c,
st drove out the truth from my young heart. P
At eighteen, I lived only for the ignoble al
rpose-l can not bear to say-of getting "
arried; but what could have been the ruling h;
sh OF one who had been taught by society
dread celbacy worse than death! | dare
betrayed it in the ballroom, in the street,
cry where. dare say was duly laughed tn
AT last Quaking on the verge of six and te
enty, l had an offer--a most absurd one. Sc
IS six years older than nv lover, had ten ut
les as much sense, probably, excepting On to
point knew that he was rather wild, r.
the gentle phrase goes; in short, l neither tn
ed nor respected him; but was willing to on
rry him, because then | should be Mrs. tr'
melody, and should not be an old maid, tn
Ny parents said NO. positively. Of course an
hought them unreasonable and cruel, end ac
de myself miserable Still, it was some- lu
ng to have had 'an offer of any kind, and Y
lips were not hermeticay sealed. | had be
eral confidants, who teok care that all nv re-
|uantance should know the comfortable co
t that had refused Mr. s.. jes
went on with increasing uneasiness few
rs longer, not seeking how to be useful, or a,
ing to find out for what good purpose / all
$ made. Neither was looking for COM t1o
lion who could sympathize with my better en-
irations and elevate my whole character, for SCI
ID no right views Of marriage. Twas simply tia
ing about in anxious suspense upon every te.
married man Of my Acquaintance, for one of
9 would lift me out Of that dismal Valley sv