The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-05-15
Why ]. Ia am Z. .A..nrl'Old: nc Maid
BY ONE OF THEM.


w Il ,LsEl ftf-5 IL
am an old maid, and what is
worse L expect always to be one. Till
one year ago Tonight L lived iii the
hope of being Delivered from this ter
ridle state: but now L have given up
all hope, and settled down into a con-
ditiOn bordering on despair. So, as
soon as l gushed into young lady hood
llmade a resolve to get married while
lswas young and handsome, and stood
good chance; but utterly failed,
and now, like The man who was cured
OF disease by remedy he had dis
covered, and then offered it gratis 10
others, am going to tell my story AZ
IA recipe for,old naidisnl. Those who
wish To follow i'll my footsteps can go
and do likewise and Uice cetsG, >s.
Well, to. begin, | always made j, a
point to be at all the parties. u gld b
If didn't get an invitation l invi-.
ted myself. 1 always contrivedto get
money enough, Gather was little
paRsim oniOuSC4 and held on prett,
tight to the purse-strings) by cajoline
the dear old gent into the belief that
he was "a paragon Of goodness and
magnanimity..i so was always fur
beloved, and the queen, in my r.esfi-
nation, at lesst, of all fashionable Cir
cles.. My mother and my younger
sisters stayed at home and worked,
while fitted from store to store iii
search OF the latest novelties; coauet-
ed at balls and PARTIES rode, sai.ed,
and reveled in all sortsnsof pleasures.
Pin not sure they didn't PRACTICE some
self-denials il. order that / might en-
JOY these privileges. never took
the trouble o,inyestigate. vas the
tlower of the family, and Of course
was entitled to the best OF everything
And fhen,ny superior talent elevated
tone OF mind ,and rare personal charms
demanded for ME a wider range OF
action and a different mode of life
from theirs.
J Well, i found it would be best not
to be rprecipitate in making an en-
gagement. i ought to see life in it's
varied phases, study character in dif-,f
ferent lights, for while at least. The
fact is, liked 40 ffiIt, and I did so to
my hearts content, though l July iu-
tended to make a life choice before il,
was TOO late. / liked tot.lure on, the
singing sWalns, to q confession of un-Y
dying love and eternal fidelity, and
SO forth, and demurelyiotell them j
never dreamed Ofsueh AN eud to what
was onl ~ a harmless filtration: that /
was sorry 1orthe pain inflicted, but
must decline their proposals; and to
give emphasis to my words I would
let fall repentant tear or,two. I re-,
ally despised every one of fthese idiots
and was provoked that they should
aspire to my hand. looked much
higher, but for some unaccountable
reason those whom L admired and
was dying to bring TO my feet kent
alooks< used all my arts but to no
purpose. They would futter around
me awhile and then fly OFF.
Things went on this way for Years,
| do not know how many hearts !
broke, orshow many Suicides Il was
thezcauseof.@ IS lsaonlyHknow that sIiTe
was one gay holiday. At last there
became a falling Off of admirers and
| became alarmed. L resorted oftener
to rouge and cosmetics dressed more
and became gayer than ever. But for
all that old Ilaidism stared me threat
eningly i'll the face. 80 Is Is
One night after had retired to my
room, L was standing before my mir
ror, rearranging nay hair for the might
my sharp eyes detected Something
like q Thread Of silver in the ebon
locks that hung around my shoufde ers..
| looked closer and uttered a sharp
exclamation. A gray hair! Horror
of horrorsi The hair that I was SO
proud of, actually turning erayl Girls
1 pray you may not be called to be-,
hold the first gray hair in single
state. May you never suffer such
tempest OF modification, anger and
sorrow, as swept over my soul that
night!,i / raved as in deiirium.
upset pitcher of hot water and near
ly scalded my ieet, which made me as
savage as bear. / pricked my fin
gers and scratched my face with the
provoking pins that seemed possessed
with ohstinacy and would bend and
prick and scratch. actually tore my
hair, in the insane wish, suppose, OF
pulling it out by the roots and thus,
saving it from it's impending fate--a
foretaste of which was before me.
can't tell what didn't do. When il
was over L sat down and thought, and
then and there 1 made a stern resolu-
tion to get married Immediately. This
resolve had a soothing effect, and l
slept, 1 never let anything keep me
awake. l could sleep twelve hours
on the stretch, any time. 1t was well