Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1856-07-03

too we'll to think you hypocrite, y said an
other Why, it was meant that all women
should be married !' exclaimed third
''Then why are they not all married p ask
ed Mary, with her usual simplicity. F..
! Eager and hot grew the controversy, and
I lost not word, while Ophelia lay on her
back, her stiff, kind arm sticking out and a
Group quite forgotten Then first did [ take
notice of that terrible combination of mono
sylables-''Old Maid" In how many diff
ferent tones of contempt, dread, and depre-
cation, did l hear it uttered by those juve-
nile voices What anecdotes came forth "a
bout cross old maids, and ugly, and dressy,
and learned, and proud, and huttering, and
misunderstanding old maids Never did a
bevy of regular fifty year old spinsters utter
so much scandal in one afternoon, as was
poured forth by these blooming young crea-
lures Two or three young friends of moth
er's whom I had always cherished in my
innocent affections because they talked so
pleasantly and were SO kind to me, were
changed now. Miss H. was so ugly, she
could never have an offerr' Miss Y.
dressed so shabby and wore green specta-
cles, to look literary and Miss X. was for
ever talking about Sunday Schools and So
ciety meetings and SO on.
You may be sure that the next time these
ladies came to our house, scanned, very
closely, the face of Miss T., face had
always loved before; but now | saw that it
was exceedingly plain. looked hard at
Miss Y.'s drab colored bonnet and shawl,
perceived that they were old fashioned and
ordinary, and that her green spectacles
looked pedanic Then Miss X, beside
whom I had always sqeezed in upon the So
ia. encouraged by her kindly smile, and de-
lighted with her conversation--how unin-
teresting she had become they were all
old minds.
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 minor
ity; so took it for granted they were in the
wrong. Besides what children are as much
influenced by what is uttered in the familiar
voice Of their own family, as by the words
OF comparative strangers? Take care what
you say when at friends house, with the
young folks catching up every random SEN
timent you drop. Many judicious moth
pr's morning exhortation has been blown to
the moon by some light remark from din
ner guest, who did not mean after all t.
give his real opinion, which was not worth
having
And now, [ assure you my education
won't on rapidly. 1t is perfectly marvellous
in how many ways, and by what different
orts of people, a young girl is taught that
is terrible thing to be an old maid
FOOLS never show their folly more than in
t1eir hackneyed iests upon this topic; but
What shall we say of the wise felix's who sin
al losfoften in the way What shall we
say of the refinement of him who is gentle
manly in thought and expression on all sub
iects but this of the humanity and chival-
" of him who assails the defenceless of
the justice Of him who taxes class with the
Saults of in lividuals, and wounds with the
meanest Of weapons-a sneer? or of the
ChristianitE of him who indirectly censures
AMI ridicules one of the arrangements of
Providence
I learned my lesson thoroughly, for it
oame to me in some new shape every week.
read it in every novel and newspaper, and
heard it from every lip. The very men who
spoke truth and sense On the subject, some
times neutralized it by an idle Jest in some
moment of levity and the jest drove out the
truth from my young heart. At eighteen,
| lived only for the ignoble purpose-I can
not bear to say-of getting married. but
what could have been the ruling wish of
one who had been taught by society to dread
celibracy worse than death dare say [
was duly laughed at.
At last, quaking on the verge of six and
thirty [ had an offer-a most absurd one.
[ was six years older than my lover, and
ten times as much sense probably, except
on one point [ knew that he was rather
wild, as the gentle phrase goes. In short,
[ neither loved nor respected him, because
then should be Mrs. Somebody, and should
not be an old maid
My parents said. No, positively" OF
course [ thought myself very miserable
Still, it was something to have had ssan Of
fer" Of any kind and my lips were not her.
metlcally sealed. had several confdants
who took care that all my acquaintances
should know the comfortable fact that had
refused to marry Mr.. S.
went on with increasing uneasiness, a
few years longer, not seeking how to be use
full, or trying to find out for what good pur-
pose | was made Neither was [ looking
for companion who could sympathise with
my better aspirations, elevate my whole
character, for had no right view of mar
riage. l was simply gazing about in anx-
Ilous suspense upon every unmarried man OF
my acquaintance, for one who would lift me
out Of this dismal Valley of Humiliation in
to which I felt myself descending. Had I
met Apollyon himself with the question on
his lips I believe / shouId have said ssYae ,,