The Irish standard., 1905-10-14

|
est means or absorbing life-w work COM
pei financial economy, "old maids are
stingy, selfish old things" If her ma
ture is genial and her youth and beau
ty not yet Of the past, she still lives
in hope" or is setting her cap" for
Mr.. Anybody. If she flash into fame
as genius in any artistic direction,
by what right does she sing Of love Or
write of marriage or paint a lover or
compose lullabies? In delicacy, she
should ignore such subjects; and how
does she know so much about them,
anyway? The spiritual Pharisee and
social Philistine grant no benefit Of the
doubt to the intuition of genius. An
old maids intuitions must not be sem
timental or emotional; and genius is
an improperly on the part of the un-
married woman.
But meantime the spinster goes her
way undaunted. Not unwounded-O,
no. she is only woman! But the
hurts and the stabs are but her thorn
crown and heart cross, and her strong
spirit carries them gravely. If she has
achieved her vocation through volun-
tary choice, be sure she has followed
her heart and is recompensed for her
loss of love; her genius or zeal, or
whatever impulse she has obeyed, be-
ing her ruling passion. If the single
state has been thrust upon her by any
human mischance representing God
Providence, she has but to rise on the
stepping stone of dead self to reach
heaven by the shortcut of resignation.
But sorrow is less commonly the fate
of the spinster than of the wife and
mother. She misses the trials as we'll
as the joys of married life, and the
world ignores her oompensations when
it pities her. There are women to
whom absolute liberty is not a luxury
but necessity-who crave independ-
| ence, who must live their own lives
in their own way, and who would suffer
|
There is a virginia. type of soul to
which marriage would be impossible;
a soul not less tender and loving for it's
vestal chastity. 1t is an angelic spirit
that cannot submit to human intimacy.
Intrusion upon it's privacy is it's ex-
quisite agony. 1t has the sensitiveness
vNf nv ~ tot, s,,
! ment but rare and beautiful spiritu-
al grace. There is type of intellect
that demands perfect solitude and Sc
clusion-whose fruition depends on it's
aloofness from the soiial atmosphere,
and which is never less lonely than
when alone. There is temperament
to which individuality is as the breath
of life, and which cannot conform or
affiliate itself, however docile its in
tention. Above all, there are many
classes of women whose innate tastes
and preferences are antagonistic to the
domestic and social obligations of the
married state. These would be both
sorry and sorrowful failures as wives
and housewives and mothers, while in
the single life they achieve both con-
tent and success. All these types rep
resent the incredible woman. who
knows how to be happy even though
a spinster."
| Seriously can we look out intelli-
gently upon the human world and
doubt that there is a divinely- ordained
place for the spinster, specific field
for her unfettered energies? There is
a call for corporal and spiritual works
of mercy from quarters that the active
religious orders do not because they
cannot reach; and to which the wife
and mother whose charity begins at
home, and whose first duty is to her
husband and children, cannot even
when she would, respond. There are
universal causes to be served by the
life free of personal ties. There are
movements Of social reform for which
exclusive devotion is necessary-there
are lHCelleCtual laOOrS WHICH only the
solitary life has liberty and leisure to
Ipursue-there Is spiritual crusade
which only virginity can carry to VIC
tory, repeating the history of Una and
the lion!
Unjustified. unrecompensed, voca-
tionless, barren and wasted, is it. then
1.-THE life of the Catholic spinster? Not
in the sight Of heaven, not in the eyes
of the angels, not in the records of the
Book of Judgment, even though the
world and mankind retain eternally
their narrow and vulgar conviction!
But no! Let US accredit poor earth
with its Wanted progression" and an
ticipate the day when recognition OF
the true sisterhood Of Catholic sweet
heart and spinster will establish their
just social equality!
| FROM THE IRON RANGE,
Eveleth, Mimi, Oct. 12.-Dan Shea,
1 W.T., Was Severelv ini,7red loot wool al