The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-04-05
THE MODERN sp1NsTER.
A Plea for the Unmarried.

The ''old maid" as she has appeared
ON comic valentines, or furnished sub
ject for the exercise of much thin wit,
has commonly been assigned to one of
two classes. If to the sentimental, she
was usually depicted with one or two
limp curls at either side of simpering
face, a breast-pin made from the hair Of
departed lover, and with general
afectation OF girlishness in her dress and
manner. She was excessively timid in
the matter of mice and dark halls, and
looked upon any and every man with
awe and admiration, seeing in each one
q possible or probable lover. If she was
assigned to the strong-minded class q
use the term in its popular acceptance),
she was tall and angular, wore her hair
twisted fiercely in tight little knot,
scorned useless adornments of her per-
son, and divided her time between driv-
ing children and animals from her
premises, and slandering her neighbors
her hand against every man and
every mans hand against her. Now,
either the pictures were in fault or the
types have passed away, for the old
maid of to-day is quite another person.
In the first place she is not sentimental.
Indeed, do not know but that she
leans in the opposite direction, being
rather cool and practical. However that
may be, neither is she q man-hater
For having ceased to regard men. in the
light of lovers, she has discovered that
they make very good friends, and it is
quite likely that among her acqua;nt-
ances there are number whom she re-
CARDS with clear-sighted, slightly judi
ciaL but very genuine friendship. And
with the friendship has grown up cer-
tain 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 fight.
And on this footing she meets her
brother man in society or business with
frank friendliness which is very COM
Portable for both sides. Secondly, she
does not slander her neighbors; she has
other things to engross her time and her
thoughts, for she is busy woman. If
fortune has been kind to her, she keeps
up 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 rig
orous, but once satisfied, she gives with
discreet iberality. Her advice is soiic-
tied and respected. She is recognized
power in the community. If fortune
has been less generous with her, and she
depends on her head or hands for sup
port, what work she does is done faith
fully; for, being relieved of the necessity
of keeping one eye on the door for the
coming man, she is able to devote all her
energies to the business in hand, and it
is an established fact that some of the
clearest heads, quickest wits, and most
facile fingers are found among these
same old maids. After her day of use
full work she goes home to her cozy
room (plainly or elegantly furnished, it
is quite sure to be cozy and home-like),
and sits down by the fire with her mag
aZine or new book, with none to modest
or make her afraid. No visions ofknee-
less little trousers or toeless stockings
fit between her and the pages; she has
no guilty half-consciousness of apile OF
unmade shirts, whose neckbands will
invariably be a sixteenth of an inch too
long or too short; but she rocks and she
reads, and lays up much mental food.
She goes into society (being socially in
clined), where she sometimes opens her
mouth with wisdom and talks on sub
jects outside the range of the shortcom-
ings of servants, the last bit of scandal,
or the cost of provisions. once heard
it said by very intelligent woman her
self married) that she did not enjoy the
society of married women because they
were always talking about the prices OF
things. Now, this seems rather harsh
criticism on those wives and mothers
whose minds and hearts are necessarily
racked by the question of ''prices," and
who speak out of the abundance of their
anxieties; but the fact remains that as
staples of conversation they are not
pleasant of profitable, and it sometimes
happens that husband will turn from
the consideration of these topics to con-
verse with some woman who has time
and space to think of other things
which, considering the fact that this
mental limitation in his wife has been
caused by marrying him, always looks
unbecoming in him. The old maid of
to-day, besides being worker and
reader, is 8 traveller. She takes little
trips in the summer, with other congen-
ial spinsters, to the mountains or sea
shore. She ranges from Maine to Cali
,fornia-she even goes ''abroad," gov
erned only in her perigrinations 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 indeed of
peace. She goes to bed when she pleases
and does not leave one ear uncovered to
listen for the uncertain steps and waver-
L. - lot hy1cl l1or
Neither does she turn restlessly on her
pillow beside sober snoring spouse
and wonder, wonder, where the child
ren's school books or the family fan
nels are to come from; but she drops
into a quiet peaceful slumber to dream
of her old love, and wakes to wonder
whether married life with him could
ever become the sordid, meagre affair
which it is to SO many husbands and
wives. Do you say: "A selfish life, lived
| only for her own ease and comfort"
/ do not think the charge of selfshness
can be proved against the sisterhood
for they who read history, or keep theil
| eyes open, cannot fail to see that large
share of the hard and disagreeable
| work of the world has been, and is be-
ing, done by single women. In hospitals
in reformatory Institutions, in the fami
lies of relatives, they spend and are
spent, physically, mentally, and finan
cially, for the good of others. A lonely
lifep Yes, sometimes; but loneliness il
not the worst evil in life; it is bliss com
pared to uncongenial or half-heartec
companionship, and a silence broker
only by the creak of ones rocker is mel
ody beside fault-inding and pickering
She herself is sometimes invited tt
change her condition, for the masculin
mind (of a certain order) reasons witt
great perspicacity that woman wh'
can take care of herself might, with
little exertion, look out for two. So h
comes and asks her to exchange the pen
or ferule, or yardstick, for the broom
and the frying-pan. Does she, in ac
cordance with the popular idea, say a
eager "Yes," before the question i
fairly on his lipsp Not at all. She look
at him with calmly reflective eye, an
in nine cases out of ten, says: '.No,
thank you," and in the tenth case some
times wishes afterwards that she had
Hester Stuart in Springfield Republican