Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-07-01
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For the Spirit of the Age.
THE OLD MAID.
BY LIMA LEE.


uebered in accents Of scorn. The proud beauty
OF eighteen, with her glossy ringlets flowing
gracefully over her swan-like neck, casts
look of contempt on the antiquated maiden,
over whose head twenty-five summers has
thrown It's shadows
Though her eyes sparkle with beauty and
intelligence; though her mind is enriched
with the bright gems of knowledge, gathered
from the mines Of ancient and modern sci
ence though her heart is the receptacle of
all the virtues which beautify human nature
and made woman what she should be though
her amiable disposition and pleasant manners
cause her to be capable Of imparting happi-
ness to all within the circle of her gentle in
fuence-yet, If she has passed the Rubicon
and emerges in the shady side oftwenty-fve,
she is forthwith ignored by reigning bellies.
the bye word Of pert little misses Of sixteen
who could not for their life tell which lived
first Julius Ceasar or General jackson, and
who would almost expire with commissions
IT you were 10 hint TO them of the propriety
OF making their own beds, or experimenting
culinary operations And as for sewing.
that good old fashioned employment which
our grand-mothers delighted in, and which
would now very often prove an antidote to
the fashionable disease, "ennui," vulgarly
called the blues, which prevails to an alarm
ing extent among the young ladies of the
present day, the idea is preposterous. 1t
makes one quite nervous to sew, and then
French, Music, Italian, drawing, &c., occu-
by so much time, that they have no leisure
to devote TO sewing for brothers and little
sisters. IL is to be feared that in this age we
are forgetting that woman should be useful
NOT the mere playthings of society.
Well should one of these little ladies be so
fortunate as to secure the prize for which she
has painted, powdered, hirted and planned
the heart Uf TN sSs- sfArS
Adolphus-she goes to the altar without one
SERIOUS thought of the responsibility of the
step she is taking, without one earnest heart
felt PRAYER, that God would make her worthy
10 bear the name, the holy name of WIFE
From some one Of this lack-a-daisical senti-
mental fashionables you will be pretty Ger.
tain TO hear something Of the horrors of ole
maidism.
Now. would not have my readers sup
nosa that Il il in self defence thatI dare brav
nublic opinion and plead for justice for oil
maids. | say Justice, for it is a settled poin
that they are most egregiously Sian dered.-
No my motives are not selfish but do nc
like the principle and will raise my voic
and ask that they be no longer regarded g
A race OF beings who love cats, poodles On
birds &C., and have passion for linen co
lars. neatness and quarreling-and who hay
no higher aim in life than to learn and prol
agate the latest news This is vile slande
appeal to every one, who has in times
sickness aud sorrow, when the butterf
friends who hutter around when the 81
shine Of prosperity is beaming fair, but VIII
adversity comes fold their beauteous win
and flv away, how blessed the hand of ANAL
en- aunt who cools the burning brow, al
who watches through the long wakeful hou
Of night beside the couch Of suffering. a
neal 10 them, If the warmest, most earnt
love should not be theirs.
confess that to live lonely life withC
love. without having the heart filed with
TO think that in the wide world there is o
strong arm to protect, one faithful heart
cling to, as the frail dropping ivy clings i
ingly around the proud forest oak, is s
fate. But does it not rather call tor SYM
thy than contempt If the way is rude a
thorny why not by kindness deck 1t vi
fairy flowers, rather than by sneers and je
open afresh every bleeding wound. W
knows the cause of their single blessedne
IL NAV be, and sometimes is, because
womanly heart clings fondly to the memo
of one loved long and well, who in the spri
time of life wearily closed his eyes in dea
Who does not admire the constancy OF Il
heart, that olings through long years of s
fering, with romantic fidelity to the memo
Of the dead All admire it, and wereit W
ten in poetry or in the charming romai
embellished with all the ornaments of "
ter's Imagination, it would cause the te
to trickle down the painted face of Angel
even; and she would feel as if she would alw
love that faithful girl, if she only knew h
while the pale weary seamstress who SIT
the room with her day after day, toiling
daily bread, with the shadow OF a great g
resting on her heart, has far more claims
her sympathy. But she is real hesh
blood her troubles are real, and they tal
the heart as light on adamant, or the
beams Of kindness on n miser's heart.
mate to Angelina that as she does not
the heroine Of the charming fiction, and
ably never will, that she had better be
on the pale-faced seamstress whom she
know, all the kindness which she could
knowing that It would be gratefully reee
and YOU are amused at the look OF asto
ment with which your suggestion Is rece
WHAT'S tho matter with her She
and we pay her for it, Certainly she il
very cheerful but she never was; old I
never are. She has no troubles that
Of; and am sure there is no romance
nected with her. No, there IS no roma
but there is REAL SUFFERING, too true
romance and should therefore receive
compassion; but we'll if the placid fac
trays not the hearts misery If Ans
would look into the past and read tn
of the sad GIRL she might find writer
trvn in the humble life of the village
stress.
Ruth Irwin was an old maid. If an
had ever doubted this. single glance