Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-02-10
The cold Maid, Of To-Day.

The " old maid. as she has appeared on comic
| valentines, or furnished a subject for the exer-
else of much thin Eit. has commonly been as
signed to one Of two classes. If to the senti-
mental. she was usually depicted with one or
two limp curls at either side Of a simperIng face
breastpin made from the hair Of departed
lover and with general affectation of girlish-
ness IN her dress and manner. She was excess
sively timid in the matter Of mice and dark
halls, and looked upon any and every man with
awe ana admiration. seeing in each one posi-
bic or probable lover. In short what q bright
but irreyerent friend calls "clinger"
III she was assigned to the strong minded class
! q use the term in its popular acceptance) she
was tau and angular Wore her hair twisted
ferceiy in tight little knob. scorned useless
adorniEentS OF her person, and divided her time
between driving children and animals from her
premises, and sandering her neighbors her
against her.
NOW, either the pictures were at fault or the
| types have passed away for the old maid of to-
day Is quite another person In the first place
she Is net sentimental Indeed. do not know
but she leans in the opposite direction being
| rather cool and practical. However. that NAV
De. neither Is she man-hater. For having
ceased to consider men in the light of lovers
she has discovered that they make very good
friends. and it Is quite likely that among her
d
CARDS with clear-sighted. slightly judicial. but
very genuine friendship. And with the friend
snip mas grown up certain pity or SYMPATHY
for going out into the world herself she has
gained some idea Of the burdens men carry and
the odds against which they firht And on this
footing she meets her brother man in society or
business with a frank freBd!ness which is very
comfortable for both sides.
Secondly she does not SANDER her neghbors;
she has other things to en.ross her time and
Srh pchx ic h,ye,-
has been kind to her. she keeps I'D some old
house in Old-fashiOned state; she is prominent
In church affairs, her name appears among the
officers of employment societies and orphans
homes. Her scrutiny of cases is rigorous
but once satisfied she gives with discreet liberal
ity. Her advice is solicited and respected. She
Is recognized power in the community
III fortune mas been less generous with her
and she depends on her head or hands for sup-
port. what work she does is done faithfully. for
being relieved Of the necessity of keepinr one
eye on the door for the coming man. she is able.
To devote all her energies to the business in
hand, ard it is an established fact that some of
the clearest heads quickest wits. and most
iaclle fingers are found among these same old
maids. After her day of useful work she roes
home to her cosy room (plainly or elegantly
furnished it is quite sure to be cosy and home
hke), and sits down by the fire with her mara
Zlne or new book, with none to modest or make
her afraid. No visions of Aneeless little trOus-
pages. she has no guilty half consciousness of a
pile of unmade shirts. whose neck bands will
1nVarlaP.y be a sixteenth OF an inch too long or
too short. but She rocks and reads and laws I'D
much mental food. So she knows something of
pnliosophy and art. she keeps up with the news
OF the day. foreign and Mt home, She can talk
about the last novel. she dips into Spencer and
Carlyle, aud attacks the North American Review
without a trenOr.
She goes into society (being socially inclined)
where she sometimes opens her mouth with
wisdom. and talks on subjects outside tie range
OF the short cOmngs of servants. the last bit of
scandal, or the cost of provisions. once heard
it said by very Intelligent woman (hersef
marrled), that she did Not enjoy The society Of
married women because they were always talk
ing about the prices of things Now, this seems
a rather harsh criticism on those wives and
mothers whose minds and hearts are necessarily
racked by this question of prices" and who
speak out OF the abundance Of their anxieties
but the fact remains that as staples OF CONVEX
sation they are not pleasant or profitable and it
sometimes happens that husband will turn
from the consideration of these topics to con-
verse with some woman who has had time and
space to think OF other things which, consider
ing the fact that this mental limitation in his
we mas oeen caused by marrying him, always
looks unbecOming in him.
The old maid of to-day. beside being worker
and reader. is a traveller She takes little trims
In the summer with other congenial spinsters to
the mountains or sea-shOre. She ranges from
Maine to Florida and from Florida to CALIFORNIA;
she even goes abroad" governed only in her
presentations by circumstances or the length
OF her purse which purse, be it long or short, is
hers.
Her days are days of pleasantness and her
nights are nights of peace. She goes to bed
when she pleases, and does not leave one ear
uncovered to listen for the uncertain steps and
Waverng night key of a late-cOming husband
Neither does she turn restlessly on her pillow
beside sober, snoring spouse, and wonder.
wonder. where the children's school books or
the family fiannels are to come from; but she
drops into peaceful slumber, to dream of her
old love. and wakes to wonder whether married
life with him could ever have become the sor-
did. meager affair which it is to 80 many hus-
bands and wives.
Do you say "A selfish life, lived only for her
own ease and comfort" I do not think the
charge OF selfshness can be proved against the
sisterhOOd; for they who read history, or keen
their eyes open. cannot fail to see that a LARGE
share of the hard and disagreeable work of the
world has been and Is being done by single
women. In hospitals, in reformatory institu-
tiOns, in the families of relatives, they spend
and are spent physically, mentally. and fnan-
cialiy. FOR the good of others. And In the easier
form of unselhshness, the mere giving of money
or goods. any one who has solicited of the old
maid finds that story Of genuine want sends
her hand very quickly to her pocket (not her
husbands)
lonely life Yes sometimes, but loneli-
ness is not the worst evil In life: 1t is bliss COM
pared to uncOngenal or half hearted cOmpan-
lonship. and silence broken only by the creak
of ones rockers is melody beside fault finding
and pickering. Once in while she sees wife
resting SO securely in the love and care of her
husband that she feels few twinges of envy.
but the sight Of the next wife usually works a
cure.
She, herself is sometimes invited to change
her condition, for the masculine mind (of a
certain Order) reasons with great perspicacity
that woman who can take care of herself
might with little extra eXertiOn look out for
two. So he comes and asks her to exchange
the pen or ferule or yardstck, tor the broom
and frying-pan. Does she, in accordance with
the popular idea. say an eager Yes" before the
question is fairly off his lips? Not at all. She
looks at him with calmly reflective eye. and
In nine cases out of ten says. mo, thank
you" and in the tenth case sometimes wishes.
afterward, that she had.
Not because she disbelicves in the theory of
marriage. 1t is significant fact that most of the
attacks upon marriage and most of the a(lyo-
cate of free love-" spiritual affinity" and
kindred trash. come from the ranks of the mar
ried. The old maid does believe very stoutly in
marriage as it was intended to be. the one hus-
band and one wife. the mutual helpfulness, the
companionship. She thinks it is all very beauti-
full and desirable but her observation of mar