Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1862-11-06
From Moore's Rural New.Yorker,l
Reply to San Opinion

Reply to "An Opinion"
FRiExD X:-IhAve come not to
''eat you np," but to give you, sort Of
sensible talking to.' have been think
ing your case over, and have come to the
conclusion that yoa must bein very for
lorh condition, to call so piteously for
deliveranee from poor, defeDceless old
maid. Now. candidly. do you not feel
slightly conscience-smitten for making
the assertion that "you care not for the
romance that may have been attached to
her former history::of hope dsfetted till
the heart was sick, of youthful low
er lying far beneath the sod. of par
ents ref5Nipg consent to her marriage il
her y6uth?'"
Only think Of il Would you leave
her (the Old maid since her "disappoias-
ment," throw aside all self-respect and
true womanly feeling, and marry a man
she does not love-simply to crafty your
sensible {? J caprice, and relieve your pi-
ous horrors of maidenhood advanced?
Then there are such cases. you expect,
as old maids becoming such from princi-
.pe?" Well, have they not a perfect
right to do so? Did not Paul ''the aged'
live life Of single -blessedness? And
who shall give us better example?
"You would like to know, in all rea-
son, what need there is Of woman act
ing so much like simpleton, because
she chances to be without a husband?"
For the same reason. l presume, that
some women "act like simpletons" be-
cause they happen to have husbands, and
storm" and scold most furiously; or, that
some old bachelors Of forty act as If they
had suddenly been attacked by heart.dis-
ease if they "chance" to see pretty
Miss Of ffteen-simply because they
know no better. The world is made up
of variety, and, if it were not manifest
in the gronp of old maids, 'twould be
strange phenomenon, and they would
cease to be terrestrial tribe. But argue
that the picture you have drawn for onr
edifcation is "the exception, not tie
rule" In my experience with oldmaids.
land I claim 10 have had considerable, J
| will guarantee that not one iE-.an have
been Of the "simpering, twisting, readyA
for-matrimony" sort Of maidens you
speak of.
In my humble opinion. genuine old
maid is really one of the "salt Of
the earth"-one who, in adversely as
in prosperity, is ever ready, with smile
npon her placid countenance and bless
/ ing on her lips, to minister consolation
to every sOrrowing heart; who goes on
hor "errands Of mercy" hoping for moth
ing, asking no remuneration save the
heartfelt "God bless you" from those she
has blessed, and the happy consciousness
of having done her duty. She looks
upon herself in her loneIiness-just as
she is-a necessity in the world, and very
sensibly sets herself "abOut doing some
good"-just as she should, and Just as il
was Originally designed" SO, friend
X, even though you do occasionally meet
with the old maid who is possessed
with a"mischievous' prying disposition,
please remember that Providence wise
I ly has mingled the cup" and that such
as these are necessary evils" sent
among MS to enable us the better to at-
preclate the good. But if you will not
be convinced Of the superior qualities of
old maids as "rule," " | hope in com
passion for Tthe race" that you will
manage to dispose Of yourself ere the
war closes, for should our lovers, who
are upon the battlefield, be sacrificed
upon their couhtry's altar, we are, every
soul Of us going to be old maids And
what a glorious band there will be to
comfort the widows and fatherless, whose
protectors, like ours, will have fallen in
battle to secure to us the rights we shall
have gained. M LAURA LEE.
Menroe County, N. r, 1862 ~. 'ai x 'a