New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-09-23
LETTERS OF AN OLD MAID.
TO ANOTHER OLD MAID.

Dear Grace. To say that 7 wish YOU success IN
your business venture is 70 put Il mildly that
. shrink from the commonplace expression I re
member meeting woman who believed in some Of
those queer occult noucrs-they are all more
4 less alihe-about the power Of thought. etc, and
she told of an astonishing experience of hers
4 ir having tooth drawn without pain. She had
demanded aid from some Of those mysterious spin
/ itual powers whose business it TO shield her
from the common lot Of mankind in the way OF
suffering and Immediately she was surrounded with
"a yellow Echt. and the action Of the dreaded
forceps became positively pleasurable She could
have had the same experience by simply inhalinE
gas. but she preferred the cheaper pro ,ess. Would
/ IL were within reach Of all Of Us, She says Il IS
and she is free think K IL does her good
But that's irrelevant This is what I'm coming
to-that I shall not be content with merely wish
ing you success. I'll try the experiment Of de
. uandlug success for you from the powers OF the
. ~ viii 90 you no harm. even i they don't
grant e. and I shall hrd it agreeable. with or
. without the yellow HEht. 10 show the said powers
whoever they areD that I'm not afraid OF them
You say. however. that the powers % the earth
already arrayed against YOU in the form Of your
brother and most Of your dear intimate acquaint-
4 a~-es We needn't consider the latter; It's only
vour brother who can nurt you 1 suppose his
F opposition CONES In the main. from generous
impulse Men proud o. their capacity 20 take
care OF U.s. and IN this generation they forget
/ The burden that often hung about the necks OF
fathers-the support OF their sisters and their
cousins and their aunts' In addition their wives
and families sometimes lleE lal 10 4oltEN t-l1
latter luxury. Wait until your brother wants TO
marry he'll be glad IN his heart that YOU are indie
pendent o. him 7 have the above argument always
on hand for the young man who complains 70 me
. bitterly % the competition % young women In the
business --orld-
Thank heaven the DAY IS past when had 20
write consoling letters 70 those among my friends
who were forced 70 Join ''the noble army Of work
I e-s.H 7 remember ! used that expression with
4 great efHsct IN writing 20 girl knew who had
taken small Clerkship In some Office. and was
afraid that her friends would desert her. AT tnat
tiue-lt was twenty years ago-there was really
/ some danger that Few = them might desert her.
I NOWADAYS. We poor folks afraid % the
Judgment Of our social and intellectual equals we
have only 70 fear the fnsoencs OF interiors. With
/ thar we shall always have 10 contend. only
money and the sort OF power Il brings can impress
the narrow and common mind. In the lower
realms It VIII always De true that every door is
barred with gold. and opens but 10 golden keys
and III is only Heaven that can be had Tor the
The Tos t o % s95 q asd i Judges E2Ta Ts Is
narrow way There seems 10 be no method u per
--g----s-- -ba- -ear-, -0l1rrs-rhe individual lot
Tta1 i~es- IJ-0- considering woman NOT women. il
. never enters their heads that this woman can oe
F-0~ another In glory lNlot thar we're all stars
hy any means either on the stage or of ito The
trouble u.s. they have Urec0nceiEec notion that one
woman oueht not 70 differ from another. Even
i,eT 81 Il 7,srbire ,for hs ma kes th. latter seem
~ 1 ~ : - ne ias PRESUMED 70 saw thar
che woman was made for purpose only and the
man FOR many Until the mind II the world opens
out admit the common fact OF experience. that
God would not have given special faculties and
Them be- exercised in individual ways. the WON
an cleSrio-' Will not cease 10 Toe a problem u
isn't problem. except IN the sense that all lie IS
Ne arv-aze assume that a woman who IS not do
nestle in the technical 81 the worG, is ther-
. the most wouarly women ] have known were pro-
flss.or-L women SeIf-supportuE women. arc
. some = rhp most uuwomaDly were domestic women
. fr tho narrow sense. Because cannot under
stand tho woman who counts al her linen
every week and ruourEs u some q her
drawer. does that mean THAI am unwomanlyE
T1l~1ers ir does ] don't know. only know mat
u.s-r rae tie home idea" i- limited TO good com
. raffrrfr. r ] can't get that in the home con q
care Tor the home. and wherever can GET IT, tlere
I can make ID hufle. even win 'u- rrlc-a-
--r~- Il vain frivolous narrow minded woman IN
~ The business world. ana. OF course she VII pc
rr--y-1rr7-.r y- shade than she was before
The point b. thst you didn't see her when she was
turned loose iu household The -.illtI Sl1
What does -'u-rrauly' mean any way A diner
1-- rr.rs 7 fancy. each one % as. To me L
means car least think IL coesl sympathetic ADAPT
-fra tender and strong Large quait-es- haven't
a++afraF them myself. have only The grace OF ~
5.-alfaffrg them II The last analysis they are the
ear1e ara titles that make men acniraole out WIZ
4 difference. And frs the difference mat cannon
~, e-l-s q one thing however II those quail
-fee make up the mysterious bloom Oh the grape
49, r.1re are 50 FOND Of talking about. the tUsl-
-ge ,r0~ff az any other viii not rub II OF IN your
rsae write me how the powers of the eaTth ana
ri- arr treating you With love --.----