Oregon Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1870-1872, 1871-02-11
A PLEA IN BEHALF OF OLD
MAIDS.
f From the Aldine press1.

4 s = sta$E .s*Ess8
Il sft From the Aldine Pressl
| It's sad and solemn fact, that Old
Maids do NOT receive the sympathy
which they deserve from the commu>
nifty at large; their trials are not un>
derstood, their sufcrings are not ap-
prcciated. Hns1es sks7'
If i shall succeed in awakening a
little compassion for them, in the hearts
of hitherto thonghtiess and unfeeling
pubic, | shall feel that 1 have accom-
plished my mission upon earth, and
shall rejoice in the reflection that have
| not lived in vain. ss5 @ .
u No one seems to realize to what a
height of moral heroism woman must
climb, before she can calmly confess
that she belongs to the tabooed class.
Gail Hamilton thought she had done a
brave thing when she commenced an
article i'm the Atlantic with the words,
am woman" and so she had; but
even Gail Hamilton dare not avow, as
she might have done, without violating
the truth, that she was an old maid.
Dear old Gov Andrew, of Massa-
chusetts. was the only man, who ever
manifested any real sympathy for the
81 anxious and aimless" ones, whom the
greas mass Of people regard with indif>
| ference. He. good soul, proposed send
ing us all 10 Oregon, to seek our for
tunes, in tho shape of six feet, more or
less, of surplus Western masculinity !;
aud although his plan was never carri-
ed into operation, the memory of his
benevolent purpose must ever live in
the hearts of those he sought to bless
Let me enumerate some of the trials
and deprivations that attends life of
singleness.
In the first place-since gold must
always take the first place---an old
maid mnst take care of her own money |
Did you ever think of that, ye married
danes If not, just pause for a mo-
ment, and reflect upon the awful res
possibility from which our kind aud
thoughtful law-givers have so COM
pIetely relieved yon. Your single sister
cannot enjoy the sweet satisfaction of
feeling that all her earthly wealth is
safely slowed away in her husbands
pocket, and that she has no possible
claim upon it, or care in respect TO it.
| She misses, too, that charming sense of
uncertainty, which the married lady
experiences, as 10 whether it still exists
in the form of greenbacks, or has be-
come converted into fancy horse, or q
share in the gold mines, recently dis
covered by the man in the moon, She
ID obliged TO consider for herself how
much money she wishes to spend, and
what she will spend it for, and is de-
prived of the delightful tremor pro-
| duced by asking some one else for it,
aud the gentle excitement OF hearing
the growled reply, Money? You are
| always wanting money Anyone would
suppose you thought | was made of
money. How much do you want. p
Secondly. An old maid must take
care Of herself She must decide for
| herself what occupation she will pursue,
where she will go, when, and how long
she will stay.
When she has returned from visit
| to friend, there is no husband waiting
| at home to greet her with the affec
tionate remark, a.Why didn't you'stay
for ever, while you we're about it p
| This care and responsibility, concerning
her comihgs and goings, she can never
escape. sI " '@#5 " t
What wonder that SO many old maids
| live TO o weary old age !! | think there
are few people who fully realize the
value of matrimonial experiences, in
helping TO ssShufie OFF this mortal ogiI !"
In addition to the trials which i
have here mentioned, there arc many
Others, hardly less severe, which an
old maid ID continually forced to endure
There are many little tragic incidents
which enliven and diversity the life of
a married lady, that the unfortunate
maiden can never enjoy. At her home,
| all is quiet, dull, uninteresting. There
1 ia no one to kick off his boots into the
basket of newly>ironed clothes, no one
to throw the favorite cat out of the
window, or to track. mud over the
| freshly>scrubbed kitchen floor. No Que
to make q cheerful remark If the bis.
cults are heavy, the pies too sour, or
the meat overdone. There are no de-,
/ llightful gray WOODEN socks to darn in
| the long evenings--no patching of
torn jackets-no refining of old coat
sleeves. asa ~ '''s -
But time and space would fail,
should I attempt to mention all tho
peculiar trials to which we are SUBJ
jected Enough has already been
stated TO convince any candid mind
that there is, in reality, almost nothing
to relieve the monotony of an old
| maids life.
| In conclusion, I can only exclaim, in
the words of well>known poem,
! Npity the sorrows of poor old"-Maid