The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-10
WHEN AN "0LD MAID"
PARIS CHIEF OF POLICE DRAWS THE
DEAD LINE AT THIRTY.
wefI-known Americans Declare Girls
and that ut All Depends.-

tuteS Old maiC.ShneSS mas never Seen oeS-e-
mated until recently. when the project Of
police in Paris declared arbitrarily that all
unmarried women over thirty were old
maids.
1t seems that a certain citizen had be-
queathed a sum of money for annual pre-
sentation to young married persons OF both
sexes who supported their parents through
the ia;ters' declining years. Il was in
tended as reward 10 such young people be-
cause they had chosen 10 care FOR their
parents instead OF marrying. No age was
mentioned in the viii. and. therefore. the
project was obliged TO settle the matter TO
the best OF his judgment. This ne did by
declaring that all bachelors and sDinsters
over thirty could no longer be considered
young.
When does a young woman become an old
maid? What mysterious line separates the
term OF spinsterhood into halves, the first
portion being that of eligibility for matri-
mony and the second that of forced resigna-
ton to single blessedness? Old maid
used to be considered q term OF reproach.
but In these days OF girl bachelors and new
women it has almost become obsolete. Yet
there is no other word which exactly ex-
presses the unmarried woman who has CIV
up all ideas of becoming a wife through
her lack of opportunity. So the decree men,
toned was considered too sweeping by many
persons in Paris. and in this country Il
would seem almost more difficult TO settle
this problem, as minds are so divided as 10
what constitutes an old maid. a reporter,
questioned a number Of people whose opin-
ions are worth having and this Is what they
said:
DEPEw'S OPINION.
Chauncey NJ. Depew declared that he did
not feel that he was an authority on the
subject Of old maids. But when pressed for
| an opinion remarked: II do not think It 10
| a question of age. Ii is matter OF appear
ance and disposition, and also somewhat OF
| community. In Oklahoma, for instance,
where there are plenty CT men, woman
| has so many chances TO marry that she
would not be considered an old maid as early
as in New England town. where men are
scarce. A woman in Oklahoma confident OF
| her many chances TO marry would not think
herself an old maid, but the New England
| woman, knowing that there are ten women
| to every man in her town or village. would
| an old maid.
| forty tell me that they were twenty-eight.
| and have only learned tEer real ages
| through their envious friends telling me the
truth. OF course. this is since L became
eligible. In family where there several
daughters under twenty-five, and some OF
| the younger ones are married, the oldest re-
manning girl is very apt to be considered an
old maid. These girls begin to look upon
| themselves as old maids and unconsciously
havior
ION the other hand have I'm my mind
| two very charming ladies of thirty-hve who
| have been social successes in all the large
| capitals Of the world. notably New York,
1 Paris and London. These ladies have whole
! cabinets filled with mernentos OF disap-
| pointed admirers whom they have refused.
| They are of the same age as their married
| friends whose daughters they chaperon, and
| the girls admirers. Now. I call those
| young women very frisky girls. Another
dna5 know mas Sesn or eee lor ,s s
each season When she married friend OF
| mine nothing but the family register could
make me believe that she was day over
| twenty-five.
I'm New York girls do not grow old so
| quickly as ir other places one reason Tor
busy here to keep track OF their ages.
| They continue girls until they are about
forty. i have known many very frisky
| girls of forty, so / do not think that IL il
| a question of age
LILLIAN RUSSTIliS VIEWS.
81 quite agree with the Prefect." said
Lillian Russell, when asked her the ques-
ton. Certainly If a woman does not marry
| before she is thirty she can be considered
an old maid, and that is allowing her much
more time than many people would. A young
woman is supposed to have her best chances
to marry before she is twenty-five. and II
she lets these years slip by her chances are
supposed to diminish. Many persons would
regard her as old maid then. especially IL she
had younger sisters.
II do not think the term Is considered as
much OF a reproach in New York as in
! smaller villages. In fact, think girls are
marrying later in life than they did few
years ago. A girl who had passed twenty
without any admirers would, short time
ago. be thought an old maid. but now II 10
different; or course. a great dead depends
on girls attractiveness. If she has long
list OF admirers and many proposals OF mar
riage she could not be dubbed an old maid
/ no matter how old she might be-
Murat Halstead was emphatic in his de-
Tense or the unmarried woman over thirty.
' 1T Is my impression" he said. that women
age, be they married or unmarried. They
understand life and its responsibilities better
than WREN younger, and they are truer and
more sympathetic comrades and companions.
The most charming women do not always
marry, and the old maids Of to-day are
sought AFTER more man the deoutan lies. ~
OF thirty is a perfect description OF ideal
old maid am sure that this is the only
kind that exists nowadays"
The Rev. Madison G. Peters sad: "A
woman Is never old maid until she be-
comes old maidish. ! know many charm
ing young women Of thirty who are not
one-half so old maidish as girls OF twenty
| one American women here in New York
do not become Old maids unless they are
born So l believe that the reproach in
| which the word once used has gone
out with great many other foolish SUPER
stitions. Women are not brought up now
| life is marriage They are Predetermined
| and do not gossip about unmarried men
| or women They know that many remain
| single through choice. No, i do not think
| that old maidishness Is a question OF age
| as much IL is OF disposition"
DR.. w. j. O'Sullivan was enthusiastic on
the subject OF old maids There are no
| old maids I'm the sense In which the word
| was once used" he declared. Women are
! more fascinating as they grow older The
| idea that marriage is the chief aim OF won.
! an no longer exists in the minds OF sensl.
! BILE people. Old maid was once term Ol
| ridicule reproach. but there are an,
number of beautiful and attractive women
who prefer TO remain single. Women arr
! advancing and growing more sensible each
year. They have made places for them.
selves I'm an the professions and self-sup-
/, cessful of these women are unmarried"
JESSIE BARTLETT DAVIS
what a funny question TO ask" said
Jessie Bartlett Davis" happen 10 be mar.
ried. SO whether or not am past thirty
5 think ] come under the head OF the IN
! prejudicei. Don't you think II depends 10
, great extent the woman-or possi5i,
upon the man she has yet TO meet? / thinl
E IL woman necessarily appears with hcl
, hair hanging in corkscrew curls about hal