Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-01-04
FOR THE STAR.
TFUK THE STAR.
A CHAPTER ON SINGLE BLEssEpNEss
BY AN OLD MAID

A CHAPTER ON SINGLE BLEsSEDNESr
BY AN OLD MAID.
Messrs. EDITORS The land of single
blessedness is divided into two portions,
old Maidendom and old Bachelordom:
while the inhabitants of the former are
enlightened people, those of the latter are
only half civilized, and in fact, are con-
sidered by many, as in barbarous con.
dition.
Old Maids are, in truth, the dearest
creatures on the earth; old Maidendom is
full of hearts throbbing with humanity:
ready to yield their all to promote happi-
ness and knowledge on earth. Sometimes
you meet with a strange being-a woman
unloving and unloved-peevish, it may
be, and censorious. There is no one, she
fancies, to sympathise with her in sick.
ness and sorrow. Sometimes in nv per-
egrinations / meet such one | look
after her as she passes me, and long to
call her back and say, "Thou need st not
be solitary, the whole world is thy fami-
ly; be courageous, and hope and affection
will come to thee, bringing happiness
along" Sometimes, but not often, SEE
one crushed with disappointment, and
with deep humility, bearing her burden
alone. These are exceptions. There is
not country on earth where there are so
many good and ac,se, as may be found in
old Maidendom.
Yes, arise! see you smile, Mr.. Wal.
ZACH, for your ears are accustomed to the
expression" Silly old Maids"
Come with me, then, as far as the foot
of man may penetrate into our kingdom,
and gaze through the gate at it's inhab-
itants.
Silly old Maids! There is the cottage
where lived and loved Hannah More.
Lived-not in pleasure-to be dead while
she lived, but hceG every moment that
she existed. She loved the very souls so
dearly loved by the Son of God. Her
soul, while it labored for others, never
stayed in its progress towards knowledge
and perfection. 1t is still advancing
still learning more, as she walks the
golden streets, listening to the story of
the scenes at the Cross from the lips of
the Marys that were there.
Silly old Maids, indeed There. too. is
Maria Edgeworth's home. Hear what the
gifted and learned of her day say of her.
How the light of her genius was never
dimmed by time, nor its warmth dispelled
by the shadows of many years.
See, in the distance, the time worn
palace of the Virgin Queen. Elizabeth,
history says, was not quite fool.
See, scattered along, the homes of many
more of England's silly old maids.
Some shelter not their occupants, yet
they are not tenantless, Their roofs
protect others, who, at the present day,
are walking in their paths.
Look nearer to us observe the forest
trees that are not yet laid low in our own
dear land, because the silly old maids OF
America love to sit beside their roots and
look up to their waving boughs. Come
forth Catharine Sedgwick, Eliza Leslie
Maria Mcintosh, Elizabeth Bogart, Anne
Lynch-answer to the charge! Bring
with you Frederika Bremen, and many
many more that could name, to show
what sort of beings exist in old maiden.
dom. Not shut up in the gloom and
uselessness of conventual life, but going
forth like true sisters of charity, are We
casting on the worlds wide waters the
bread of innocent pleasure and useful
knowledge.
/ forgot, gentlemen, to point out te
you the cottages, though far apart, OF
Horriat Martineau and Catharine Beecher
Beecher! You've heard that name before
l dare say. But this is the old maid
Beecher, who has done more real good ir
the world than her clerical brother, anG
her world renowned, married Stowe-i,
sister Harriet.
Ny own humble little domicil is quit,
hidden from your view, for am an un
important member Of the sisterhood.
| hope the favor and sympathy of tn,
people of my own city will entitle me tt
the privilege of building small lookout
on my lowIy dwelling, where lean pleas
antly pass my time looking at the fai
scenery in old maidendom. trust m,
letters will be sufficiently popular to au
thorise me toput my name on my littl
front door, which has, as yet, only dis
played its time worn panels between tn
iessamine that twines around it.
n y -
Do not expect me to say one good wor,
of the miserable settlers in the other por
ton of the land Of single blessedness
There is no rose, no jessamine, no ill,
there. No spreading forest trees beckol
their unhappy people to rspose bensatl