Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-06-03

cn1xxeucamz1EE6tn nanH M1lIln6v
to marry / know Of no man, that it
wouldnf be an untold horror to me to be
doomed to marry. would rather scrub
floors on my knees for living"
"But you do see happy marriages
"Oh, yes, dear souls, OF course do see,
and am glad of it, and wonder and ad-
mire, yes see some happy marriages!
There's uncle Jacob and his wife, kind old
souls, two dear old pigeons OF the sanctu-
ry!--how charmingly they get along!
and your father and mother they seemed
one soul !; it was really encouraging to see
that people could live So" @
ssBut YOU mustn't be too ideal, Caroline
you mustn't demand too much of man"
.sDcmande don't demand anything OF
any man. ] only want to be let alone.
don't want to wait for husband to make
me position. want to make one for
myself; / don't want to take husbands
money; l want my own. You have in
dividual ideas of life, you want to work
them cut; so have I; you are expected
and encouraged to work them out indie
pendently, while am forbidden. Now,
what would You sayiif somebody told you
to sit down quietly in the domestic circle
and read to your mother, and keep the
wood split and piled, and the hearth
sweapt, and diffuse . sweet perfume OF
domestic goodness, like the violet and its
leaves till by and by some woman should
come and give you a fortune and position,
and develop your affections,-how would
you like thata Now the case with me is
just here. l am, if you choose to say SO.
so ideal and peculiar in my views that
there is NO reasonable prospect that / shall
ever marry, but want = position, q house
and home Of my own. and q sphere of in
dependent action; and everybody thinks
this absurd and nobody helps me. As
long as mother was alive, there was some
consolation in feeling that was every
thing to her. Poor soul she had q hard
life, and was her greatest pride and COM
fort, bat now she b gone, there is nothing
that can do for my father that good,
smart ,housekeeper could not be hired to
do; but you see that would cost money,
and that money that save is invested
without consulting me; it goes to buy
more rocky land, when we have already
more than we know what to do with.
| sacrifice all my tastes, ] stant my growth
mentally and intellectually to this daily
tread-mill of house and dairy, and yet
have not a cent that can call my own;
am servant working for board and
clothes, and because am daughter am
expected 70 do il cheerfully; my only es-
cape from this position is to take similar
one in the family Of some man, to whom.
in addition to the superintendence Of his
household, ] shall owe the personal duties
Of wife, and that way out you may be
sure shall never take. So you are sure
to find me ten or twenty years hence q
fixture in this neighborhood, spoken Of
familiarity as 'sold Miss Caroline SIM
MONS" a. cross, pions old maid, held up
as warning to contumacious young
beauties, how they neglect the first gra-
cious offer. caroline was q handsome
gal in her time they'll say, but she was
too particular. and now her day is over.
and she's left an old maid. She held her
head too high. and said no, a little too
often; We see. gals better take their fiust
chances
"After all. cousin, !" l said, ..though we
men are all unworthy sinners, yet some
times you women do yield TO much per-
suasion, and take some one out OF pity"
II can't do that; in fact I've tried to do
it and can't. This desperate dizziness,
and restraint, and utter paralysis of pro-
gress that lies like nightmare on one, is
q dreadful Temptations when q man Of
fers you fortune, which will give you
ease, leisure and power to follow all your
tastes, and certain independent stand,
such as unmarried women cannot take, it
is Q great temptation" AT2U x5J Il
but you resisted it!'
"Well, was sorely tried; there were
things I wanted desperatsly-a splendid
house in Boston, pictures, carriages, scrv-
ants oh, j did want them; wanted the |
eclat,. too. of a. rich marriage, but !
couldn't; the man was too good man to
be trided with; if he would only have
been good uncle or grandpa would
have loved him dearly. and been ever SO
devoted, kept his house beautifully, waited
on him like dutiful daughter, read to
him. sung to him, nursed him. been the
best friend in the world to him, but his |
wife could not be the very idea Of it
mad i ta b. "orthy ereatsrs peasetly repnl
"Didyou oyertell your father how you
feel pa * - C. 49, 4 H. W -
'.Of what earthly use? There are peo-
pie in this world who don't understand |
each others vernacular. Papa and could !
no more discuss any question of the inner |
life together than ii he spoke Chickasaw
and spoke French. Papa has respect |
for my practical efficiency and business
talent, and We get on well together. He
thinks have made great mistake. and
that there is a crack in my head some
where's Abt he says nothing !; his idea is
thst 4 havc let slip the only chance Of my
life, but stih, as lam great convenience
at hons, 1le Is reconclleG ! suppose all
nv ff3 mourn n secret places over me