Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1876-03-21
tBeigravial
Something About Single WO-
mem

Women will do well to make an ac.
curate estimate of the pOsslUIlI ties OF
single life. Let but an appreciate
number of them recognize and avOw
the TACT that it has it's own advantages
and enjoy meuts, aud that these are at
least Us great Tor them AS they are for
men, ana there VIII very euOn be an
end OF the superiority cOnventlOnally
ascribed to married women. Let US
try 10 realize the possible life of a cul-
IlVated, sensible and amlable single
woman, especially OF one III tie upper
middle class. If such "A woman pos
cess but "a small Income, she can, If
she Will, get great deal out Of her
life. L do not At present speak OF
those unhappy women, numerous in
this AZ in other classes, who III their
conduct and by their character gIYe
point to the jIUes and sarcastic pity
freely bestOwe ed on cold maids" These
are certainly to be censured, but ought
also to be very kindly plJled; Tor they
have only been (as the great maj Orlty
of mankind have always been) not
strong enough to dominate their
environments, not in advance Of the
spirit of their time. Themselves ut
terly conventional, they have accepted
without question the conventional
estimate OF married and single life;
their youth las probably passed IN
perpetually frustrated, aud finally
unsuccessful attempts TO establish
themselves as married women. | do
not suppose that any women pass
through life without some opportunity
TO marry, but seeking, as 40 the wO.
men To whom | REFER only the con
yphtInnuIlN yvlu.I uHNabIaupg nf mar
riage, position, wealth, etc, their fail
ure TO attract men able to bestow these
advantages is very generally the rea-
son of their remaining single. 1t must
be confessed that some single women
of this class become very odiUus.
Turning not upon the men who have
neglected, but upon the women who
have supplanted them, they seem, in
deed, to have cast OFT all reverence tor
their wnmanhuud, they hate, ana
would fain not perceive any dignity in
witehood, any eXcellency in mother
hood, any charm in glrlhOod' they
greedily learn and pItilessly expose
the sins and follles of their own sex,
and Affect to scOrn as mere LriCkery
all wOmHnly truth, tenderness aud
deliCacy, and reserve their worthless
respect and damaging appreciation
only for those who participate alike
in their failure and in their raucor.
But the very great majority who have
JAILED to achieve "a good establish
ment are very different, All that is
wanting for them Is just little clearer
vision through the conventional into
the real. If they could hut perceive
that tallnre as to one Of the aims Of
life is very different thing from total
Wreck--if they would make an accu-
rate estimation OF IT'S remaining pos
slhilitles-we should hear from the
world at large much less nonsense
about THE waste OF feelings unemploy-
ed, about the ungathered rose placed
in no mans bosom, etc, In their own
dainty feminine ways and pursuits, in
their freedom, in their leisure, in the
tranquil refinement in which even a
small income email les them to invest
their lives; in the absence of the inter
ruptlOns, the worries, tho cares, the
sorrows and bitter dIsappointments Of
married life and on their cosy woman
ly friendships single women may
iind such pleasant happiness as can be
surpassed only in the most fortunate
marriages, and which far surpusses
that attained 10y the majority of their
married sisters.