Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-11-06
Daily Nennebet yournal.
THE OLD MAID.

Let us take girl who has arrived at the
mature age of % without having had
single eligible offer Of marriage. BY eli
gibie we do not mean to imply that our
only consideration is money-but just the
contrary. We wish to have it understood
that nobody whose character promised
some fair amount of happiness ever asked
our sensible young lady in marriage. ana
she is sensible woman, who has good
education. and whom an excellent mother
early taught the blessedness of work
and usefulness. Under the eye OF that
excellent mother she has refused to
marry only for the sake of avoiding the
misfortune of becoming an old maid.
Under the eye of that excellent mother
she first learned to make herself useful to
her younger brothers and sisters (for we
will suppose the family to be large one)
and when they grew up she looked about
for some other occupation, or let us rather
say work. for though some young LADIES' are
always occupied they never work. AS she
has taught nearly all the younger family,
she has, of course, gained some practice
in the art of teaching, and so she tries to
find situation. "Oh, what miserable
lot p we hear some of our lady readers
exclaim. Granted, for those who follow
this calling with unwilling heart and mind;
but we began by saying our young lady
had fitted herself particularly for that vo-
cation, and that she did her work with
will. The consequence is that she soon
gains the love of her pupils. Thus some
years pass, and she is thirty now but ''she
is quite young still, her friends, male and
female, aver. If she goes into society.
there is always a vacant seat left for her,
and there are none more eager to welcome
her entrance than the young girls of her
acquaintance, for she is always full OF
good humor-ready to listen to their
troubles, be they small or great-always
ready with advice or help. Without their
knowing it, there is, moreover, an under
current in all her talk, consisting in the
desire to make them all sensible women
women who love to work; women who
take an interest in the well-being of their
fellow-creatures, whether rich OF poor
women who can stand alone, if there is no
loving arm to lean upon, and who yet
lovingly, gratefully, accept and return
each kindness shown to them. We have
seen some fair specimens Of such women,
and we think their number is daily in
creasing. They go upon their way with
out much ado they enjoy the good things
OF this world as heartily as any bachelor
and they are, for the most part, much hap
pier than any of our bachelor friends, for
they have the great gift which the lords
of creation generally sadly want--o1
making a pleasant home to themselves
out of their scanty means, wherever they
happen to build their nest. And so oul
old maid, whom we set up as an example
has, also, contrived by the age OF 40, to
build nest for herself-for all her family
- scattered; her parents have died some
of her brothers and sisters have married,
some have gone away there she sits con-
tentedly, but mostly not alone; her friends
are dropping in, inviting her and coaxin G
her to come with them. Sometimes she
accepts, more often she refuses, knowing
full well the truth of the proyerb: 'If you
wish to get always warm welcome, don't
visit your friends too often" But, indeed,
she has no time left for unwelcome visits
she rises early, she is fully employed all
day long, Besides the teaching she does
for money-in order to live respectfully
she does much for love. Thus our old
maid goes on her way, cheering many who
would grow faint but for her hearty en-
enlargement She is fifty now, and age
is approaching with quick step but she
fears it not If all her friends should fall
off, there will always be the needy and
the poor to whom she can be friend,
and who, if they cannot repay her in any
other way, will at least protect her from
the least feeling of desolation, which
causes many ancient females to say 81
had better die, for nobody will miss me
when l am gone, and / am only bur-
den to those / love."-Chambers' Journal.