Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-10-09
Spl rhOOA.


DustD- deckod and tattefed garment
vi bOyhood's happy day.
Sp1DsteshOOA.
The title Of old maids, ard the ridi.
elderly female singlebood, are rapidly
passing away together.
The world 10 becoming enlightened
upon many subjects.
IL no longer tOlerates old evils and
among others the idea that women,
unless married, are useless aud neglec--
tel, querulous and fault. finding busy
bodies this .oea is being swept away
with other dust and rubbish of the past
amid the general clearing for the good
time coming"
In society where good taste prevails
We now seldom hear the term of odd
maid" the milder appellation of " sin
gle woman" being substituted.
This Is as 1t should be for wherefore
brand, by what has, from association,
become u ridiculous nickname, q re.
spectacle class of females who are in
no wise inferior to their married sisters
nay, who are in many cases thou
sand times better tor IL not your old
maid often one who has to deny the
dearest impulses OF her nature, and 10
stitie all her natural yearnings for a
love and . home OF her own, for the
sake of others, devoting her life q living
sacrifice to those who may be perhaps
ell the while unpercipient of, ungrate-
full for, her bu rdens and her cares for
them?
Oh, If these women be happy, persist
in being happy, notwithstanding their
remuneration OF self and the lingering
pref udice against their condition, why
rob them Of the smallest portion Of
their tranquility by silly jest or sneeI?
1t isa piLiabie fact that young women,
especially M the middle class-s, often
marry Without love, without even
esteeID, for him with whom they wei,
solely for the purpose OF escaping the
stigma attached by the ignorant and
uuthinking TO the ate of old maiden
hood.
Are We far wrong In referring to this
dread Of remaining unmarried the
numerous devices OF vanity. the hirt-
ing, and dressing, the visiting which
retard the growth OF many rational
brain, and cause the fathers Of gay, ex-
pensive daughters to sigh over their
rapidly diminishing means, and half
regret the day when they rashly took
upon themselves the cares, and risk,
and burden of family? We know
We are not.
When old maids shall be invariably
treated with the respect and considera-
tion which are their due-when the
last joke at their expense snail have
vanished into the Lethe OF forgotten
Reconsideration will husband hun ting
be at its last gasp, and matriinony
again be sacred thing.
Old maids pets, have furnished occa
sion for many a graceless sneer, fol
| much bitterness and affected disgust.
And wherefore? Surely those to whom
circumstances, or their own sense o.
right, have denied the station Of wifi,
and mother, may expend . portion o.
the stifled love throbbing within fheil
womaniy hearts; and which, had they
married, would have formed an mex
haustible provision Of tenderness fol
some sweet infant, or, may be, "a whole
rosy little troop of boys and girls
surely they may at their pleasure
bestow this objectless affection upon 8
faithful dog, intelligent parrot, or gen
tie, domestic cat.
| Their friends are not bound to like
these pets, nor even to approve OF them
but that is no reason why our single
sisters should be ridIculed for loving
objects which, though others may Set
nothing to admire in them, touch theil
lone hearts, and are, perhaps, the means
of preserving in its living and purifying
flow, the we'll of sweet waters therein
And which, in reality, ia the wor
thier of Interpretation = the woman
who, In the absence Of all legitimat,
outlets of her overlooking affection
fondles and carefully tends a favorit.
dog. or the man who neglects the wit
of his youth, and seeks convivial revel
wasting his substances upon the smok
of cigars, the fumes of wine, and tn
selfish indulgences of masculine dis
sipation?
No :" old maids" are neither to b
pittied nor despised. o. this we are II
a position to speak, for we have tn
pleasure of knowing several excellen
specimens OF the class and we can as
sure our readers that many an idle
pleasure loving matron might benefi
by their example. Active, cultivated
energetic, judicious, widely benevo
lent, their scant home.tie leave then
Mt liberty 10 diffuse their words of wis
dom, and their deeds Of kindness an
of mercy, around u larger circle tina
can be undertaken by the strictly Dc
nestle woman and In constant exel
else of their facu lilies, and their until
ing devotion to the interests of thei
fellow beings. they experience soil
happiness which surely Is equal
any that this changeful state Of bein
can afford and We emphatically ave.
that we have often observed tn
noblest and widest benevolence of COL
duct in the abused state OF "Spinstel
hood"