St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-26
LONELY OLD MAIDS.
Their Lives Dreary Enough With.
out Ridicuie.


out Ridicuic.
The period of life at which girlhood ends
and old maidenhood begins is very unset
tied and discordant. says the Philadelphia
Record. Misses at 20 are apt to consider
all their unmarried lady friends who have
passed their 30th year as absolutely old
maids; those at 80 suppose the era begins
at 40, and some at so lose no opportunity
in Indicating that they are still girls, by
which it is to be assumed that old maidsm
is postponed indefinitely, at least in their
cases. But it is fair TO suppose that when
single woman has passed her 10th year
she may be considered as standing, If not
within the gates. at least on the threshold
which divides youth from age. But it is also
true that years have very little to do with it.
Some persons appear to have been born
old, while others seem to have in them the
springs Of perpetual youth. Ninon de
PEnclos, who was belle at so, with scores
of admiring knights at her feet, kept III her
heart as well as in her face the freshness
and sprightliness of youth, and never grew
old. despite her crown of years. An old
young maid is a most depressing sight,
while a young old maid, provided she does
not affect infantile kittishneSs. is quite the
reverse
1t is. and seems to have been since the
earliest years, the fashion to direct the slingS
and arrows of ridicule and criticism at ''Old
maids" That grave injustice is often done
the siSterhOod there can be no doubt. Curl
Osity, the love OF gossip, acridity, and sour
ness Of temper. and numerous other undeSir-
able qualities are attributed to them, often
without shadow of excuse. The fits of
temper aud the habit of tittle-tattle so often
INDUCED in by married women are forgiven.
or not thought of at all, while the same
failings in the maiden of uncertain years
are set down to the acerbty engendered by
her life of single blessedness. Now l am
not prepared to say that undue interest in
affairs of other people is not a prevailing
characteristic of old maids. 1t would In
Geed be very remarkable if it were not SO.
OH the principle that the mind is so consti-
tuted that it must be employed. The mar
red woman has, or is supposed to have,
duties that engrOSS more or less of her at
tention. while the spinster has no such
refuge. Be that as it may, each one must
answer for her own faults and shortcomings
and if she makes society suffer for them
society will unreservedly mete out just pun
iShment.
The old maid who afirms that she never
wished to marry pronOunces the severest of
satire against her own heart. A female
who never felt at any period of her life
desire 10 engage in the duties or share in
the delights of that state to which all
human beings are drawn by force of nature
and reason must be utterly devoid of ten
derneSS and the heayen-bOrn instinct with
which all creation is rightfully endowed. l
do not expect that this sentiment will meet
with unqualified Endorsement from the
spinsterhood, but ertain it is that in every
true wOman's eye there peeps out longing
to have home and husband and babies of
her very own. and it is no less true that
thousands of old maids would have made
most excellent wives and mothers. That
the instinct is strong within them is shown
by the unaffected feeling which they dis
play in contemplating the domestic joys of
married friends