The Oxford intelligencer. (Oxford, Miss.) 1860-18??, 1861-01-23

WE have seen the last snow drops fade /;
the last leaf of autumn fall; and again winter,
clad in erinine, ascends his dazzling throne.
Once more the white fakes come, not singly,
as of old, but pressed closely together, that
in the end they may conquer; so, true to
this rule, We cast our first snow ball into the
arena of society. Chief among the pelted
ones we find old maids. Not to go back to
the days of the prophets and the customs of
the ancient Israelites, why has this title be-
come a by word and reproaehi Is it because
the bearers of the name deserve the obloquy
heaped upon them Are they really as black
as they are painted We believe not more
than this, we consider that deseHedly, or I'M
deservedly, those Of their oasn ser who so
revile them are worthy to share like fate
Is their fate then so hard ! Such is the
popular tradition; such, indeed, to some ex-
tent, is the actual fact, but not because Fri
diculous and preposterous assertion) they
have "never received an offer;" not because
they have been disappointed irreparably I;
not because a strong hand is needed to sup
port them in their hours Of trial, but because
a woman's heart can never rest unanchored
upon the sea Of life without loss. Its high
est ambition is to be inundated; its deepest
happiness to confer happiness in the sphere
where there are the most opportunities for
the indulgence of this propensity, or rather
Ito make use of an oft quoted sentence) for
the fulflment of this mission" we find the
happest women. Husbands are not alDays
the instruments Of Providence to further this
design. Sacrifices arc offered on other affairs
besides that of Hymen, and gifts of great
price-loving words, good deeds and tender
mercies, arc often garncred into the little
span of human life. Is this disgrace, then,
that doing so much she receives so small a
recompensel "Oh, never mind her, she is
only an old maidp is the universal and
thoughtless response from the lips of her
younger companions. Shame on the i'll
breeding and vulgarity and ittleaesS that can
utter such language. Is an old maid mon
ster! Has she no feeling, no impulse, no
power to suffer or enjoy! Is she not woman,
and should she not be shielded by that name
from insult, and held sacred in the eyes of
all good menl IT. on the other hand, there
are those among them, as there are, we all
lp,N hn hnin -
forfeit also the respect oftheir fellow-creatures,
let us endeavor to remember that the fault
lies in their individual character, and not in
the class to which they belong Arc there
no faithloss wives, no silly, wcak-minded
mothers in the world, and who thinks of cry
ing out against wifehood aud motherhood,
pray! No, this same world, like great
cowardly bully as it is, attacks only the weak
and dcfcncelcss unprotected females" fur
nish rare sport; no champion rises up to de-
fcnd tier cause no "big brother" squares
his fists to deal an avenging blow. That is
right; that is generous that is noble. Three
cheers for the heroic world
Every season hath its charms the sere
and yellow leaf as we'll as the opening bud
and the summer bloom; it is when the au-
tumn apes the spring that these depart. A
woman who has lost her youth sometimes
forgets this and the reason is, that she has
made self an idol. Once let her grow selfish,
and all beauty is spoiled all happiness for
ever forfeited. Chain her thoughts to some
motive, her life to some idea, however
Quixotic, her heart to some hope, however
high or humble, and it will bleed, if neces-
sary, and yet be happy that in doing so it
accomplishes that loftiest demand of its ma
ture: Live, strive and suffer to the end ~
Since the days of Adam, when, instead of
screening Eve from condemnation, that
churlsh individual quietly transferred all the
blame to her shoulders, with the words,
"Lord, the woman gave me to eat" since
those days there has been ample exercise for
the virtue of self-sacrifce, and among the
children of Eve who practice its daily teach
ings, not the least numerous, nor the least
worthy, arc old maids.
ELSPIE.