Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-06-20
ECHOES FROM ALTON,
THE MONTH OF JUNE AND MARI
RIAGEs DISCUSSED.
The Old Maid, the Spinster, ana the
Bachelor Girl-An EngHshmahs
Ob..rvatiou-A "SermOn--PersOnal
md General Notes.
(correspondence of the Dlspatch.)

ALTON. VA, June 1S.--June has long
since been popularly supposed to be the
month of marriages. 1t may even De
that Solomon, Brigham Young, ct ais,
gave it preference in the multiplication
table for wives. Perhaps it Is not I'M
possible that their June brides may have
continued first In love until the June
roses came again.
For either brides or roses. II IS hard,
hard heart that does not feel thrill Oh
genuine interest, but are we not, In the
glamor of their beauty and romance, Tor
qettin1 the dear girls who remain un-
married and 60 not we leave our best and
most constant flowers to bloom IN love
lv sweetness down by the garden wall!
There Is one thing have observed along
these matrimonial by-ways, there are no
more "old maids" Sometimes, In legal
variance. or polite reference, one READS
| NJ "a sinister lady OF 50' or thereabouts,
but the term old maid, that carried Win
II prophetic chills OF green tea and pet
| cats, has fallen into desuetude, ana YET
| there is a homely truth about the term
| though the latter has the sanction OF
| longer usage. A spnster is spinner.
In oIden times woman had to do q GER
tain amount Of spinning before she could
enter into the matrimonial state. hence'
mill she was a wife she was q SPIN
| ster, or spinner.
| HAPPY MEMORIES.
| Like the June rose. by whatever name,
there are many happy memories cluster
inc about the thought of the "old maid,
os we once knew her, that men and wo-
| men Of sentiment are 10th TO part with.
7, "a a forlorn community-certalniy, IN
| tho country-that does not have with'h
| six-miIe radius at least three OF her
os aunts or cousins living wholly Tor
tho good of others. This propinquity, II
,,ust he confessed is rather hard upon
| the "aunts." For my own part, pe-
| I,eve in the spiritualistic doctrine aDou,
marriage when i think OF oid maios,
that the predestined spouse was o',is
..nassed over" ahead OF his mortal half
and that they will be unitea neieaa.e,
amid Iimitless fields OF blue ether anu
ant these are the old "old maids"
| aon,t know SO much about the modern
| specimens. , late.
| a well-travelled Englishman was late'
| To- asked. what was the most cnarac'
teristic thing he found In American
He ignored American pie. and answered
| promptly: c, ,ra mr.
,o,rstors here" said he, "such as we nave
~ ENGLAND. The unmarried woman II
America Is a type altogether unique. on
has all the independence or man, an
still keeps every essential trait OF u'
hest woman. She plans Tor herseli aiN
makes no mistakes; has her own noine
inst as IL she were married. Is Away
compa nionable, but never oVers.epS w
Bounds NJ dignity. o. by far the bachelo
girl is the most wonderful thihg III Aino''
20 and she Is altogether charming.
| She 10 also. altogether different. Lon'
vears ago. when Aunt Phoebe eiectefi u
live a life of celibacy-and par parehthe
sis-it was usually from CHOICE BECAUSE
"rhere never was a goose SO gray
But soon or late,
some old white gander came that way
And chose her for his mate.
u meant a life. literally. OF single pless
sdness Then the maiden aunt wa
ns,tber useless nor aimless. She was IN
sait NJ the earth, and like the SAT- OF IN
little boys composition. something va
Ia. the rest OF the world taste badi
II she were not In IL.
DEMAND AND SUPPLY.
Tho demand was only limited by IN
s,rnlv. Illness called for her, piftn'
dsaths and marriages found her VI
sorrowing. or the rejoicing friend' con-
So, 20 he received, carpets or curtain
- he decided upon. family sewing ~
terded TO. baby cutting teeth. or gram
sather down with the rheumatisH' ess
hoon TO the afflicted, guiding spi.
to the weak-when. In short was 81
not needed? s,s.,,ss.on an
vet more personal criticism as W nv
IA An old maid has to DO peiore sn
tstlv holds the title. Julian haw'noi
calls her a woman who Is "stili young.
and the little adjective adds ten yea'
AZ n stroke. One cannot judge ny u
ancIents. You never think OF the juno
Mineryas, or the many Madonnas as o.
either for maids or matrons. Titan
fairest women were So and Ruoens wei
as far as 40. while Rembrandt, by
look or smile, banished age, and mac
art free. In literature. BaIoc puts
ago Of love at 30 but this - ranks
folly. Given the place. the sime' ~
tho right man: and. II woman - goii
to love, It will bc all the way from 10
60. II Is q known fact that ina a
Of marriage advances with odvihzauo
Maidcns Who have passed. or are uea
| ing their sOth year. may claim that tn
renranent tho m00t perfect typo Qx ~