San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-08-22
OLD MAIDS STIRRED UP.
Letters Received by Pastor Sammis,
OF South River, Since He Preach
ed 1bout spinsters.

when the KEY. >. ID. SammlS, the new
pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist
church, at South River, preached on
Miriam, the Old Maid" he hardly
realized the notoriety the sermon
would bring him. South River is a
humdrum, out-of-the-way little man.
ufacturing village, and its affairs sell
dom get into the newspapers, but
| now it realizes that its energetic
young preacher is the best advertis-
ing agent it has ever had.
The Rev. Sammis is surprised as
much as anybody over the noise made
by the sermon. His main argument
was that the ridiculed and despised
spinsters were really the superiors of
the great majority of their married
sisters; that some of the best women
of Biblical times were old maids, and
that Miriam was a conspicuous ex-
ample of the worth and influence of
the spinsters. Mr.. Sammis is a bach
elor and born and bred New York
er. He has a great respect for the
women who by choice or fortune are
left to braid st. GATHERINGS tresses,
| and he told his congregation, the
married portion Of which sat drinking
| in his words with open-mouthed
amazement, that the old maids were
the best people ON earth. The spin
sters throughout the village were
pleased beyond measure. Then the
sermon was printed in the papers of
the county seat and the New York
papers. and the folks who write let
tiers to newspaper celebrities began to
get in their work.
1t is two weeks since the sermon
was delivered, and Mr.. Sammis is
kept busy reading the letters which
have come to him on the subject of
his sermon. He is 80, and past the
susceptible age. He is living the
easy, contented life of bachelor,
and so far no letter has been received
that would tempt him to stray away
from South River, but that is not the
fault of the writer's. Some of the let
tiers that have come to him are
unique.
From Cairo. ILL.,, comes an indig-
nant epistle from a matron of 40 who
has nothing but contempt for any
man that will say that any old maid
will tower above a married woman"
and she is glad she doesn't belong to
his church.
Then, again, comes a fiery epistle
from a young swain in Ohio, whose
sweetheart broke off her engagement
with him bcause Dominic Sammis'
sermon had convinced her that her
worth would be appreciated more if
she remained an old maid.
The letter of a Brooklyn woman
made the preacher shudder. Here is
what she said:
"Behold, the conquering hero
comes This is what felt like sing
ing when 1 had finished reading your
sermon. have only one regret, and
that is that l was not present to hear
all you had to say. VIII you do me
the favor to let me have a full report
of the sermon? And won't you please
let me have your picture? If l send
my autograph album, will you write
an extract on old maids in 1t? IL L
could only see you and have you pour
into my ears some of the noble senti-
ments you so eloquenty uttered L
believe 1 could die proud of the stig-
ma that has rested upon my race for
so long. Why, have often said that
I would not marry the best man in
the world. But if 1 could see and
meet such a true hero as you must be
l think it would be different Please
write to me-"
From Syosset, L. l., comes pro-
posal: "You are man after my own
heart. and one whom 1 could love. l
am an old maid and am proud OF 1t,
1 can tell you. want to correspond
with you, and who knowsT You are
brave man, and deserve to have all
the old maids unite to sing your prais-
es."
"Such expressions" says Yankee
spinster of Essex, Conn, "such deep
sympathy, such eloquence in these
days are rare to find. / have read the
little printed extract until I can say
it from memory. I envy the women
whose privilege 1t is to sit Sunday