The sun., 1903-05-24
THE OLD MAID AGE RECEDES
4 WOMAN NOT BEYOND THE LINE
NOW TILL SHE rs 81.

Even Then She May Still Be the Heroine
OF Many Drama, for the Ma
ture Woman Is to the Fore - The
Day OF the Bread and Butter Miss
Is Past - The GlOrincd Splnster.
few years ago rs was regarded as the
age at which woman became an cid maid.
The limit has now been set at 30. In other
words, at 80 is the imaginary line which
separates the term Of spinsterhood into
halves, the first stage being that of elig-
bility to matrimony and the second that of
forced or voluntary resignation to single
bessednees.
Although the cry Of "old maid" may
still be heard it has ceased to alarm. In
deed, 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 woman no longer exists in the minds
of sensible people.
Nor Is a woman supposed to have lost
all power Of attraction because she has
entered her third decade. Balzac has laid
her most fascinating and dangerous age
dangerous, that ia, to the hearts of men.
She cannot boast perhaps, of long train
of admirers. Partners at balls are less
persistent and fewer in number. The
delicate aroma OF fattery has become
fainter, and now and then very young
man may make her feel like her own grand
mother by asking advice about his love
affairs. Nevertheless, many women who
have entered the thirties are the centre
Of a drama upon which the curtain is not
likely to fall for many a year.
In all womanly honesty, it 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
I.andor puts it. warns both hands at the
fire of life"
1t is not only fact that women marry
later in life than they used to, but it is
equally true that everywhere the more
mature woman ia to the fore. The young
and inexperienced bud has ceased to be the
reigning queen of the hour, She has been
forced to, yield her place to the maturer
and wider knowledge.
Az matter Of fact. the woman Of thirty
or thereabouts often has a feeling which
is akin TO pity, for the sweet young thing
Of eighteen, ~, feeling which & ;1 %9ud Id @ doubt {;
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, l
think. wherein woman appears to less ad
vantage. 1t is almost impossible for a
girl Of eighteen not to be conscious. and
she has 80 little knowledge of the world
that she is unable to hide her wkardness.
1T is amusing. even pathetic, to see the
efforts of the poor thing to appear natural
and at her case and to say her little say
without betTaying that she has prepared
it beforehand"
Aword to the g'orified spinster OF to-day
let her take her stand boldly, firmly. Let
years really number. Let her look AS
pretty as she can and as young as shc can
as long as she can. Let her preserve all
the graces and coauetries of wom1nhood
that possess SO potent an attraction, This
is her woman's prerogative,
But no kittenishness. No iuvenility. no
shyness. That it not her role. Shyness
in young girl is charming. But it weakens
the position of the unmarried woman
1t makes her seem apologetic, and this
she should never seem to be. AZ her position
needs no apology.