New-York tribune., 1903-07-30
LETTERS OF AN OLD MAID.
Ito A MARRIED WOMAN.

Dear Edith: am writing 10 you for my own sat
isfaction rather than for yours, and hope you VIII
not fall into despair at being placed IN my oeoI
again so soon. You know never wait for replies
I write when I long to DO so, and so avoid the
pinch of the aive-and-take system. What Is dept
between friends? If I can't turn around and SPEAK
TO YOU when I want TO express myself then the
barrier between US is greater than of distance
know you don't feel SO about writing IN
fortunately, most of my friends hate to write ana
tell me So regardless of the fact that they thus
freeze the genial current of my inkwel q don't
think well has a current; I should have called II
simply a bottle; but let that pass. We USED 10
agree that in correspondence we might ignore the
mixing of meta phorsD. AS I said, you insist upon
telling me that you don't like to write, though you
do like receive letters. Oh. of course! But no"
am TO believe the latter phrase in connection WIN
the former They don't hang together. 1t is CORE
spondence that we love or hate not your letters or
my letters and correspondence is communication
without which friendship is dead Let us have an
argument!
John always says the Same thing, about hating to
write letters. but / can't demonstrate with him
about it. because he wouldn't understand. Neither
would Madge. They're young that you have TO
exercise various forms of restraint in approaching
their minds Young minds. especially young mas
culine minds have TO be approached with care
You have 10 coax them but they mustn't hear you
say. Poor pussy" You have TO double around d
corner and meet them face to face, quite uneA-
Pectedy Why its yen! Vel go on rces9 t@getaer or %
something like it: you'll find it out when your son
is little older. if you haven't already i,
But I've interrupted myself and nate TO oT siI 1i
terrupted. Where were We? Oh having an agr,, ara
ment about letter writing Don't forget 10 az az
it on when you write, its your move. 1 have othe'
Vas speaking the other day Of being an old old
maid-spea king TO married people of course ca ca
cali myself an old maid, when I speak 10 YOU o o.
YOU are not old maid, but the phrase lsh a. in
WAYS a safe I shouldn't dare 70 use ~ - -,
writing TO Grace for example; sensible N9Ita.I QUIZ
though she is and, although she owns 70 oelllbb
older than /. she has never told me nov NJ
olGer' II she didn't care she would nave SiNT1-
the date of her birth. down 10 the hour ne
thew don't give the cate they 90 care-aiW 49, g.
They say they don't care but that II roIo oIbsIyI7
busness-peOple don't want TO near lL-.ttVs a
think YOU suIy-yOu know all the arguments 7
woman uses when she wants TO hide her, age;
know what they because never moe m ~
If wanted TO hide it, I would talk just as they ij oo
Well as I said before was speaking 2i al al
maids and some said, Ny Dear. uoI a.
Yourself an old maid, No woman is that untli Id
nfty" When young / was caHed an ~ W. =
rnaii at twenty-five. Don't you remember ;,o,,ye5
thought We were both hors de COMBAT ana IAN -
Of keeping bachelors hall together ana you
.1Vs'lIt he very comfortable, and-not very llapPs
save the mark Which OF US IS really Ihe laFA
% SoHI1 psroant please on that point You needn
make the counieTnove, II s not IN ule Sa,tle -
ctit v,nn,lerinz al the difference in the gem ~
nninr of view within the last quarter cent, Wy! ~
norton as 10 when woman may cal hSIsei a.. ~
ND has shifted that have never been SUI
what | really until lately. NOW I DELI nd
! last / can rest upon the good old phrase anu
an one sense. you and were never old maids as
/ never would be, and never couId De All, i'' she
/ stance is am old maid She was porn one N
] ~ marry but il viii not change neI - ,.,,,
1iis ietter Is far too long. and / have toq @ @yoI
M news Pardon it. ! have none 10 ten II ,bst
want know how we aTei ead d,sfTbite nv love
~ eTarv one-or forget do So-in ne Gus
j fashion Yours, as ever