Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-06-23

~ ela I,id.s sphere.
WHERE Is IT1THE SORROwFUL SoLn-
ooUY OF OSE OF THE SzsTERHOOD-


ooUY or OxE OF THE SzsTERHooD.
As sit here in my lonely room with
the forms of those who once took part In
nv life fitting before me and with. hope.
the spirits of those. not lost. but gone be-
fore. hsvering above me. my heart lies
heavily within me and l fear that at times
/ doubt the justice and the goodness and
mercy of God.
Where is the old maids sphere? Much
has been said. and well. concerning wo-
mans sphere, but where is the old maid $
sphere The people of this world do
not seem to recognize our right to one on
earth. VIII God recognize our night to
one in Heaven
Ridicule and contumely meet us on
every hand. Turn which way we will
there seems no place to which we can
claim a right. If we shrink from the
noisv and jostling world. and hope our
duty lies at home, and that we are bless
ing there, we hear the oft-repeated and
cruel remark: "She ought to be ashamed
to be burden upon her poor, old father. !"
And if we feel sometimes that we are
blessings that can be dispensed with. both
for our own and our loved ones comfort
and maintenance. and we 60 out into the
world, with, perhaps, little strength and
no shield to endure hardships, We are told
that "a woman's place is at home. and
her work home duties" when often many
OF us have no home, or are too poor to
have home duties, but have to work hard
to procure nightly shelter-perhaps a roof
over the head of our widowed mother and
fatherless little ones
Finding favor in the sight of no man,
and educated to be "sweetly dependent, )"
MANY an old maid at last finds herself an
unpaid servant in a brother or sisters
home, q tolerated nuisance.
If we have no home ties. and our hearts
are tender and our sympathies wide, and
we try, according to our lights, to benefit
our fellowmen,. we are told that "a wo-
man ought to be content to embrace one
man, and not desire to embrace all men. :"
Perhaps we didn't find favor in the sight
of the one we loved; perhaps God took
him, and all we have is the memory of a
beautiful past or a little dust to weep over.
If our hearts are full of mother-love
and we pity neglected little ones, and try
to arouse in cold ,callous-natured mothers,
or thoughtless inexperienced ones. de-
sire to do their duty by their children. and
to awaken them to a sense of the high and
holy office conferred upon them, we are
told that it is pretty state of affairs
when woman on the shady side of 80
lectures mothers on how to care for the
baby" Yet many motherless, and other
children. have known how warm an old
maid auntie's heart is-how soft and low
ing her touch-hnw kind and tender her
voice, tor many of us love children.
Yes! many of us love children-not
with the love alone that will kiss them
and caress them when others make them
presenta5le. but with love that will at
tend to all their little wants, soothe their
little sorrows, share their little joys.
When old maids, who have exemplified
in their own lives, the beauty and dignity
of lowly lite take an interest in girls and
use their pens and lift their voices for
their benefit and instruction, they are held
up to the scorn and derision of the world
by the so-called humortsts of the day.
Yet all old maids have been girls once
they have had all girls faults and fail
ings. committed all girls follies, her
sin, if you please; had all girls high
aspirations in their lives, the same beauti-
full possibilities. and may sorrowfully
think that if they had known then
what they know now they would not have
missed their happy day.
Father in Heaven, look down pitifully
on us poor old maids and give us a sphere
in which the people of this world will
recognize our right to be loved, to suffer,
to work and endure, so that at last Thou
will say: ''Well done, thou good and
faithful servant; enter thou into the joy
Of thy Lord. Mary Melrilie.