Smyrna times., 1872-08-28
.MiSceIIU n e D us.
Old Maids.

Old Maids. r
The highest type of old maid has made no {
sacrifice, nor is she in any sense victim, tor c
marriage as state is not necessary to her idea {
of happiness; but she has none of that antag-
onism toward half the human race which Miss
Priscilla makes her boast; nor is she one who
has set herself against marriage, or whom no
man has ever wished to marry. She is the
woman who has never met with her ideal, and
who has never been cunningly persuaded to
accept anything short of it,
! Every woman with any romance or magma
nimity has, so far as she cOntemplates marriage
for herself merely in the abstract, an ideal, or
some vague assemb!age OF high qualities which |
stands for such. She can only suppose herself |
voluntarily linking her fate with another if
that other is man exceptionally good or noble, |
or at least distinguished among his fellows. |
At all events, he must be something quite
above the common run of men about her.
: The typical old maid has had this ideal, aud
, been faithful to it; it may be for want of
adequate temptation to Inconsistency. Some
wOmen-the charming woman, for example
have not been allowed to keep their ideal
: They have lost sight of it in finding themselves
), the ideal of some one else. Our typical vestal
d has never been a charming woman, though she
h, may have many excellent gifts and graces.
ID Women are so made, happily for men, that
gratitude, pity, the exquisite pleasure OF
I. pleasing, the sweet surprise of finding them
selves necessary to anOthers happiness,
h. altogether obscure and confuse the judgment; ;
~ they either forget their ideal altogether, or
IS think they have found it in the very common
us place mortal who is their choice. But to some
a.. ar women this does not happen. The natural
instinct to please is not strong in them. They
nd only care to please where their taste and judg'
n, ment approve, and their manner is cold ol
nd Indifferent in general society. She does not
want to please out of her pale of sympathes
zen aud the alternative has no terror for her. Ii
red fact, she has foreseen that single life Is he
-. probable destiny. 1t is not at all necessary
'hs that this unattractiveness should have to d.
Of with a conscious want of beauty. A beautiful
woman, as far as color and outline constitute
o. beauty-but failing in bewitching qualities
the may repel admiration by Indifference, and liv
ny to glorify the sisterhOod to which her manne
20 devotes her; but it is the woman of common
Of place exterior and sensitive mind that is mos
Sl!e commonly left alone with her ideal w
SIX believe that almost any woman who is M
,un. wha! is called particular" may marry if sh
one chooses-tha is, il she does not speculate upo
!. r. herself or share the worlds unfavorable vie
e.h; of her personal pretensiOns. Again, person
the the of simple character, who don't think muC
Lars about themselves but enter cheerfuy into ii
tory scene around them, pleased, amused, co
rDet tented, have an unconscious sattraclveness qul
the independent Of laws of beauty. But o.
sand typical old maid is not Intellectually simpl
~ ~ but complex. The present, except und
rage circumstances of rare occurrence, does n
y of engross her or absorb her interest. She has
one mind looking before, after, and about he
uuciI Whatever her interests and occupations, h
fTc SaU: own fe and what she is, to make of it,.i'
,, present question with her. She dc
pirtS not wait for marriage to solve it; she fe
nieeG en, it in her own hands. She has never n
office her IDEAL or if she has seen what might ha
a. t.' e1' been such, she has recognized an impos
= bility-constituted as she is-which must ke
'' her apart from it, In good time she NAL
,,,n. her destiny her choice. She will, inde
;. and be nobody's idol Nobody will love
5sd Dsit5i ai best No one will find out graces
q the from the common gaze, but which she d.
ectsn not therefore believe non-exlstent She '
occupy no such place in society as UNI
..s.,, favoring circumstances she believes she CO.
Ibtsen FILL She will preside over no home, cOnstit
,sed in no family centre and guide; she will n
lmens' what some, perhaps most women, consld
IITED the prizes of life, as well as its work {
,.. =, raison d entire But for all these prosper
ty-twO she finds in her own case equivalents.
iIsi Istion. knows-her observation tells her-that
forty drawbacks to them which other women
,,, blind to, put up with, cheerfully ignore, /
ad pS,ad over by strong will or by acts she cannot
-. prove, would go far to neutralize them in
isTs case She perceives, in fact, that these thi
aesso sf are not for her. One prosperous, comforta
d isne- and blooming friend, for example, has a
abI build band whose faults and disagreeable quail
ar' a. land and would keep her ashamed and misera
Another lives in ease and wealth, but ha
ns ossapd % control over the wealth she lives in-ha
-, ask her husband if she wants ten dollars
T. her own purposes, with a chance of b'
house questioned or even refused. Another, do
,",, mother, has children whose weak health
ranged unpromsing tempers would hold her in gu
the In ing anxiety. Another time is taken up
Srty.ons pleasures or cares or business which woulC
b,l,ael be to her an intolerable bondage. The rel
fIy-nine of marriage to such one who has kept to
,roachea ideal of perfect union, grand cares, noble
nns'Ss s S, sures and elevated usefulness presents
a sordid, carking, worrying threatening asr
rcd doi If she had been in the thick Of the coni
mapdSr dS would have been otherwise. She would
Nv INV stood by her order, and habit and duty W
q cunt 6f tSo have brought their own reward. Mol
rsd dol would blot out, if they could, the bitter
aehias periences of the deeper affections and emot
liars or exchange their poignant joys and sor
IIcbisap for an even serenity-and these superior
~ eight sures and cares she takes on faith but
ndsr the the uncongenialities with her own temp
as ment are most keenly perceived, and natu
rstary e this is a growing sentiment. Use makes G
: otn ending Ing thing but pain pleasant, and liberty
.,u,,o.. enjoyed by temperate and vigorous mint
he asss comes of all good gifts the one most esse
cen nun to heppiness No wise woman who has