Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1870-10-11
Old Maids and Old Bachelors.

There are men and women who, like some
flowers. bloom in exquisite beauty in desert
wild they are like trees which you often see
growing In luxuriant strength out uf crevice
OF rock where there seems not earth enough
to support shrub, The words "Old Maid y
Odd Bachelor" have in them other sounds
than that Of half reproach or scorn; they call
up to many Of your minds forms and faces than
which none are dearer In all this world. know
them to-day. The bloom Of youth has posi-
bly, faded from their cheeks, but there fingers
round form and face something dearer than
that She is unmarried, but the past has for
her, it may be some chastened memories of
an early love which keeps its vestal vigil sleep
lessly over the grave where its hopes went out !;
and it is too true to the long-depared to per-
| NIT another to take his place. Perhaps the
years OF maiden life were spent in self-denyipg
toll, which was too engrosslng to listen even to
the call Of love, and she grew old too soon in
the care of mother or sister and brother Now
in these latter years. she looks back calmly up
on some half-cherished hopes, once attractive,
of husband and child, but which long, long ago
she willingly gave up for present duty. SO to-
day. in her loneliness, who shall say that she is
not beautiful and dear? SO agE.fgo1
So is she to the wide circle which she blesses
To some she has been all that mother could
sAunt, or "Sister," has been hers, she has
to-day mothers claim and mother love. :
disappointment has not soured, but only chas-
tened ); the midday or the afternoon of her
lie is all full Of kindly sympathies and gentle
deeds. Though unwedded, hers has been no
fruitless life lseg ean1a5
It is an almost daily wonder to me why some
women are married, and not less marvel why
many that see are not. But this [ know
that many and many a hou> ehold would be des-
olate indeed aud many and many family cir
Gle would lose its brightest ornament and its
best power, were maiden sisters or maiden
aunts removed and ii may bless the Proyi-
dence which has kept them FROM making glad
some husband home 4
Yonder isolated man, w.aom the world won-
ders at for having never found a wife Who
shall tell you all the secret history of the BY
gone time? OF hopes and loves that once were
buoyant and fond but which death Or more
bitter dlsa ppointment dashed to the ground ;
of sorrow which the world has never known !;
of fate accepted in utter despair, tho with
outward calml Such there are. The expec-
tation of wife or home has been given up as
one OF the dreams of youth, but only with
groans and tears now be walks among men
somewhat alone, with some .eccentricties, but
with warm heart and kindly eye. IF he has
others children who climb his knee or seize his
hand as he walks. IF he has no home, there
is many home made glad by his presence !; ii
there IS no one heart to which he may cling In
appropria1ing love, there are many voices
which invoke benedlctioh or his head.
A MAIDEN's FIRsT LOVE Human nature
has no essence more pure; the world knows
nothing more chaste Heaven has endowed
the moral heart with no feelings more holy
than the rlascent love Of young virgins soul.
The warmest language of the sunny South is
too cold to shadow forth even faint outline OF
that enthusiastic sentiment. And God has
made the richest language poor in that respect,
because the hearts that thrill with loves emo
tions are tno sacred for the common contem-
plation. The musical voice Of love stirs the
source Of the sweetest thought within the hu-
man breast, and Steals into the most profound
recesses of the soul, touching the chords that
never vibrared before and calling into general
com mpanionship delicious hopes till then un-
known Yes, the light Of a yoang maiden 5
first love breaks dmly but beautifully upon her,
as the silver lustre of star gimmers through
the thickly woven bower; the first blush that
mantles her cheeks as she feels he primal In
huences is as faint and pure as that which a
roseeaf might cast upon marble. But how
rapidly does that light grow stronger and flush
deeper, until the powerful effulgence of the one
irraaiates every corner of the heart, and the
crimson glow of the other suffuses every fea-
ture of her couutenance.
COST OF ADVERTISING In this, as In every
l;.,,, also l,o baSr nonars will cnmrnan1 the