Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1880-02-05


A spinsteT's life begins IL the age Of
aegenieen aed ends ai tIse age Of fifty.
When she reaches the age OF ffty .he
aitheF becomes anold woman or begins
life sfresb. ssariiek this time as about
FIVE and twenty. There are, OF course,
exceptions. Some girls begin life very
much earlier than at seventeen.
knew . young lady Of six who killed
her grandma By her preeocity. Her
grandma bad asked her 20 come and
see her, and for her reception prepared
o feast Of seed-eake and mild negus,
and also purchased book Of fairy sto-
ries.
The ebIld ate The, cake, bat objected
20 tie vice and after glancine with
grrst contempt al the book cf fairy
stories threw it on the door, saying
that she preferred real tales-thIngs
she could improve her mind on.
What will this world come tos"
shrieked the old lady; '.improve her
mind al six! Why, at sixteen did
NOT know whether bad mind or not. /"
Tie shock was loo much: The old lady
cook to heT bed and never recovered.
But most girls begin 10 live at seven
teen: and from sc enteento iifiy every
year ~ like a figure in an auctiOneer's
catalogue which IL meant 10 indicate q
fresh "lol." Ofcooise ther1 are depths
Of thought meIanclS0ly idesFisms, deli
cious hopes, yearnIng aspirations. pro-
found aecesses OF pirtism, dark emo
seions Of envy. sickening spasnss of ieal-
ousy-au making eras for themselves,
and sometimes contFiving wiId depar-
lures, which cannot be sounded, nor,
indeed, even adyerted to, In D compFe-
sive summary Of thirty-three. years Of
existence. Yet the spinsgeF's fife may
be gathered from hints, which may be
shrewd enough TO so deep without be-
ing voluminous.
AtscSenteens then, she thinks often
OF love; delights IN love songs fills
Ai0cssss poems with penril marks
thinks Byfons face beadtifnk eals lit-
tlesin company. AT eighteen. still
thsaks great deal Of loves would care
nolhsnR Tor poverty, providing she had
asweethearE who adcrtd her. Indeed,
would rather Be poor4haa fieh, were
she united 70 fhe ideal whom she has
net yet met. StilI reads 4 great deal OF
poetry aEd novels which, deal largely
With love and the death OF tie heroine;
rassionately fond ef children. AT nine
teen, little more criiirul; finds some
ogths poetry that pleased her last year
4 little weak: locks about for stea9ier
authors than her old favOriteg dances
epaFy dance in ball, and Is not quite
sopariiculaf aslo the men who are in
troduced to her. a'sFwH rffN
: a. twenty, ls not suite whether, alter
al, Il would not be best 10 be- an old
mans darling. Nevertheless, enc iirts
mere. uniformly; aIl her shyness Is
gone: shd she enjoys her food whether
people are looking at her OF not = At
twensy.0hes her belief IN old men is
strong; she has Lost her pFejhdices in |
asBE 0f poverty end cottages. yel She |
would not insist upon money were her |
ideal to present himself. AT twenty |
twos thinks her younger sister rather |
forward in her u1anRers, particularly |
with young men; sometimes suggests
TO mamms that the invitations which |
include the Younger sister ere merely |
acts of politeness which people don't |
want to be literally interpreted. All
twenty-threes is annoyed if any one
Gays in her presence that The PAL
Icr Of hali The girls one meets comes
from tight laeing. AT twenty-iour.
laees deliberately for waist. and does
not much mind If II is known; fnds the
company Of old men always more agree.
able than that Of young rnen. and Is
6aitered if boys pay her attention.
AT twenty-five, is found behind the
bszsaE-stslls; imitafes the sisle Of the
fashionable beauty, frequently altersI
the chsracler Of her couture, ard uses d
great many different kinds Of siuir for
her hait. al twsbty-six. declares that
she hates the idea Of marriage: won
ders how girls can voluntarily enter a
state Of bondage: marks all passages In
novels ia which men sre callcd tyrants,
end CEASES 10 notice other peoples
babeN. AT AttwentY-seven, falls In love;
about iouF months Of quiet anguish and
despeiF; SITS late into the niaht Ia her
bedroom; j. Tilted; writes twenty let
terF, in AL conceivable styles-from the
psssionairly se6fnIul 10 The mild. sacri-
ficial, forpsing. heart-breakine style---
none Of whlch are posted; destroys fhe
baIEfoom programme ON which M has
written bis name. al twenfy-eight,
nose red, even IL spring; shoulders .
shade thin: resolves 20 dress her hair
lower. as the kaiF-pins are making her !