Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1903-08-28
THE olD-MAlD AGE.
A Woman Not Beyond the Line Nov
Until She Is 80.

A few years ago % was regarded
ms the age at which woman became
an old maid.
The limit has now been set at 80
In other words, at 30 is the imaginary
line which separates the term of
spinsterhood Into halves. the first
stage being that of eligibility to malri-
mony aud the second thai of forced or
voluntary resignation to single bless
edness.
Although the cry of "old maid" may
still be heard. IL has ceased to alarm.
Indeed, there are no old maids in the
sense in which the expression was
once used, and the idea that marriage
is the chief aim of women no longer
exists in the minds of sensible peo-
pie
Nor Is woman supposed TO have
lost ali power of attraction because
she has entered her third decade.
Balzac had laid down the theory that
woman at 80 is at her most fascmat-
ing aud dangerous age. dangerous.
that is. TO the hearts of men.
She cannot boast, perhaps. of a long
train of admirers. Partners at balls
are less persistent and fewer in num-
Der. The delicate aroma of tattery
has become fainter, and now and then
very young man may make her feel
Ike her own grandmother by asking
advice about his love affairs. Never
theless. many women who have enter-
ed the thirties are the center of a
drama upon which the curtain Is not
likely to fall for many year.
In all womanly honesty, II may be,
she revels in her part of heroine. and
in the disturbances and agitations of
which she is the cause. This kind OF
woman, as Landor puts it, "warms
both hands Mt the fire of life"
1t is not only fact that women
marry later in life than they used to.
but 1t Is equally true that everywhere
the more mature woman Is to the
fore. The young and inexperienced
bud has ceased to be the reignlng
queen of the hour. She has been fore
ed to yield her place TO the maturer
woman. the woman of broader expert
ence and wider knowledge.
As matter of fact the woman OF
30 or thereabouts often has a feeling
which is akin to pity for the. sweet
young thing OF 1Sa feeling which
would doubtless surprise the vide
eyed girl in muslin and blue ribbons
who thinks the whole world lies at
her feet.
One thing | am thankful for" says
the bachelor maid. "and that Is that
| am no longer a bread-and- butter
miss.
'There Is no period of her existence,
| think, wherein woman appears to
less advantage. 1t is almost lmpossl-
bic for a girl of IS not to be conscious,
and she has so little knowledge Of the
world that she is unable to hide her
awkwardness.
1T is amusing, even pathetic, to see
the efforts of the poor thing to ap-
pear natural and at her ease and to
say her little say without betraying
that she has prepared ii beforehand"
A word to the glorfied spinster OF
to-day-let her take her stand boldly,
firmly. Let her never pretend to a
day less than her years really number.
Let her look as pretty as she can and
as young as she can as long as she
can. Let her preserve all the graces
and coquetries of. womanhood that
possess so potent an attraction. This
is her .woman's prerogatlve.
But no kittenishness, no juvenility.
no shyness. That is not her role
Shyness In a young girl is charming
But 1t weakens the position of the un-
married woman. 1t makes her seem
apologetlc, and this she should never
seem to be, as her position needs no
apology.-Chicago Inter Ocean.