Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-12-09

tiencc and charity. Not all the good
sisters who devote their lives to works
of mercy wear the hood and gown
which proclaims their mission TO man.
kind. They are everywhere among
us, and are without doubt often the
butt of sneers aud false imputations
from the careless and unthinking
Somebody has said lit Is better 10 be
laughed at because YOU are not mar
ried than no, TO be able TO laugh be.
cause you are" The saying applies,
admirably, in many eases, to the con-
fusion of Scollcrs.
A writer of century ago tells ~
that the ilustrious fathers Of the church
held the doctrine that when our pro-
gcnitors were created it was the intcn'
ton of Heaven that Eve herself should
become IN old maid. And further that,
according to 81. Romwald, Eve in the
nine;y-ninth year of the world created
religious Order of Young Women.
who were 10 continue virgins and to
preserve uncNtiuguished the fire which
had fallen from Heaven ON the sacri'
flee Of Able. The latter myth i,
identical with that of the origin OF the
Vcstal Virgins in Rome. There are
numerous mythical traditions OF like
character. all showing that old maids
were regarded with honor ana respect.
Then there came a period, during the
reign Of the Jews, in which no record
is found Of the existence of any one
distinguished old maid The state ol
spinStcrhooi was also held in disfavor
among the Greeks aud Romans OF that
time. But after the Christian era there
came wonderful rcvulsion OF feeling.
and n marked increase OF unmarried
women OF fmarriageable age. According
10 ancient historians the whole sex seem
10 have been inilamed with 4 passion foi
vIrginity which was most cargerly
iostcred by many of the most disiin'
gui,hcd fathers of the church. ST
Chrysostom. 81. Augustine, 81. Basil.
~. Gregory. and many more wrote
passionate and eloquent rhapsodies on
cclbacv aS the most honorable condi.
ton of woman. and. indeed. to such
an excess was this veneration for the
single state carried in the second cent
ury that some preachers declaimcd
against marriage ~ the suggestion.
OF the Devil. Coming down TO mod
crn days We inl that many of the
most illu>triouS women have remained
spinstcrs all the DAYS of their lives.
Elizabeth. of England. one of the most
remarkable OF latter-iay soyercigns,
and woman of remnkable acutcness,
courage and political Sagaci,y, was
an old maid. 80 WIS Maria Edge.
worth. whose literary work prompted
Sir Walter Scott to begin the Waver.
ley novels; so was Caroline Her>chel
50 was Jane Porter; 80 was Joanna
Baltic; - was Mary Russell Milford;
SO was Jane Austen. 10 whom Macau
lay awards very high place in the
field of fiction; 80 were Harriet Mart.
incau. Frances Power Cobbc, and hun.
drcds Of others whose works live after
them.
Who will doubt that such women n
Florence Nightingale. Emily Faithful
ami Clara Barton, single women though
they be-. have donc and are doing
double duty for humanity? Some of the
most eminent women Of every civilizet
land ar, found in the pursuit Of sci
cncc, literature, art or bcnevolcnco
and are welded only TO their choser
calling. The tendcrcst ministrationi
TO sick and suffering strangers in oul
hospitals and on our batue-iields com,
from the hand, Of the sistcrh0od. Are
they not worthy of all honor? And
because there are weak and silly, curl
aus and gossiping old maids Gust N
there are weak and silly, curious ane
gossiping married women, shall al
old maids become the subject of addle
patcd lest? That II woman's reason il
best known to herself may apply &c
ma,rimony ~ well rs TO other atfair'
IN life. and it is n matter into which
idle curiosity has no right to pry. The
good there is in tho old maid com
mands our love and respect; for the
sorrows which may have been hers sh,
deserves our sympathy. and common
Justice. which is the common right,
requires that we render unto Cesar
the things that are C@sars.-Phi'dtiet
phid Record.