The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1872-06-02
THIS OLD MAID OF THE FAMILY.

As a rule we do not place much faith in
signs. There Is SO much to mislead US In
this life that IL we want to preserve our
reputation for sagacity il is advisable new
er to predict an event until il has happen
ed. There Is one prophecy, however, in
which man can indulge with the salts
faction Of discovering that his prediction
is very likely to be fulfilled. A close OBJ
server can almost invariably hit upon the
old maid of the family. He can recognize
her as quickly amongst the rest Of her sis
tiers as If she alone did not bear the mark,
"going TO be married" She may not be
matter Of fact; on the contrary, she may
be far more idcalistic in her temperament
than the rest of her family. She may not
be bad, or quick-tempered; for her char
acter may be very swee full OF the un-
obtrusive beauties of virtue that make up
the perfect womanbood. She need not
fulfill any one Of the conditions which
form the conventional theory Of the old
maid; and vet traits there IRE in
her character which proclaim her.
She stands "confest," to use an expr,s-
sion Of the old poets, by the de,erminable
cccentricities with which she variegates
the routine Of her life. Eccentricites
they must be, for they find no assimila.
ton with the characteristics OF other girls
of her own age. Even when she pursues
the path chalked out by the social rrac-
tces of her own sex, her imitation has an
air different from that suggested by that Of
others. She is coquettish with an effort,
though her coquetry may want no
piquancy from beauty. With them, hirata-
ton is love; and her love has an earnest
ness that repels by unexpected fervor
Indeed, earnestness is her great foible; it
is the sign that bctrays her future. She
has no butterfly the graceful
capacity OF lighting on flower after
flower, impartng zest TO the pursuit OF
the lover, who is as child in the chase.
Here is An undue tensity of faith fxity
Of idea She resembles some which all
other stars pass and rcpsss; forever beam
ing forth unbroken light from the high al
titude of her own belief. She seems to
have no mission but that Of loneliness yet
her loneliness is not of her seeking. She
is born with stationary beauty; but her
earnestness repels; for there can be no
alurement where there seems so much
esgerness to allure.
She may be young girl, and still you
can foteshadow her future by the subdued
air of her present life. Her earnestness
has taught her an odd experience, and la.
ter dealings shall embittcr the knowledge.
The secret of her celibacy lies in the IN
tense refinement Of the chastity of her
thought and the purity Of her character.
Both these virtues are too often sickled
Ger with a simply sort Of sentimentalism.
Her impressionability works her matrimo-
NAL ruin. She mistakes the shadow Of
love for itself; and hugs for long while,
incapable Of being convinced Of her error
the phantom of her heart, like the wo-
man in the story who was discovered fond.
! ling the smooth bones Of the skeleton the
sight Of which had driven her mad. There
Is an infnity to be extracted from the life
Of the old maid Of the family. The rude,
undiscerning eye may see in her conduct
and character only womans heart at
variance with one of the most natural con.
ditions Of life. But deeper gaze can
penetrate the underlying secret, and
mourn over the young earnestness sancti.
flying itself by its patience, bu, consuming
itself with vain and idealistic longings.-
She always loves when young, and lover
with a singular purity and power. She
has found some hero, and has proclaimed
to herself his royalty. But her powers Of
denomination are not rendered with the
faculty Of tact She sees her loves
in the light Of her own love; never once
dreaming that she has inspired him with
no other emotion than larger self-conceit
Her conduct towards him is animated
with the enthusiasm of alteration. The
curse of earnestness is on her. There Is
no effort to WOO in her love; for the love
having been inspired Of court-hip with her
| has passed there is no other desire now
than to mingle soul and soul. Rarely il
happens that such II love meets with the
| sign and the response which it longs
You can seldom liken TO human two human
souls to Il silver rod, that vibrates with
responsive echo at one end TO the
touch of,hat at the other. 1t is such fruitless
love that first DEVELOPS the character OF
the old maid. 1t is easy to grow cynical
over such abortive sentiment and deride
its worthy views. But for the Staying
Of love makes tragical the life Of the heart
in which love lies dead comes the influ-
ence that is to bias the whole future Of
the mourner. There is generally an in
stinct amongst families as to whom the
old maid shall be. They look upon her as
aJait accomph. There is kind Of com'cs
pity. The girl seems to guess her fate, and
accepts it smilingly. She is not piqued !;
she has tasted the bitterness of love and
should ever Fate prefer her again the
cup, she knows how much of the memory
Of that bitterness would mingle itself
| with the sweets - London Leader