The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-01-19
HISTORY'S" OLD MAID
FINDS MANY FOLLOWERS IN
THESE MODERN DAYS.
The Term Has Lost Its Stigma--In.
crcasing Opportunities For Women
In the Busines' world In a great
Measure Responsible.

The term "od maid" has lost it:
stigma
The independent. unmarried wo.
man no longer bothers to resent it,
Modern opportunities TO engage in
business, TO play a part in the actiyi-
ties of business ana art, OF philan-
thropy and politics. without being
hampered by the presence and care
OF mere man, has proved such an
alluring prospect to many women
OF torceful personalities that Il pro-
| posal OF marriage far from being
something TO be eagerly wanted, is
now regarded as sort OF nuisance.
The divorce difficulties OF the
| Countess de Casteilane, born Anna
Gould. form an interesting compaf-
lson to the peaceful and happy life
led BY her sister. Helen Gould
Il Il no lack Of gallantry that
prompts the statement that this lady
has passed The age when women
usually marry That she has had
! linlit!ess opportunities is only what
Is to be expected for an heiress a
woman of fine education and most
loyable personality
hnt unlike Anna Gould, who mar
ried worthless title, Helen elected
to remain single.
She had plans or philanthropy
which she wished 10 be unhampere1
in carrying on. She has taken out Ia
love for the needy that impulse Of
sentiment which most women direct
to one man, ana she has had her re-
ward for few women are more gem
nin@ly loved than she The pre-
JUDGE that exists against holders
of great fortunes has never operated
against Miss. HClen Her thousand
acts Of charity and help for the needy
have made her name blessed the
co3ntry over
= love il a good hing In life, Miss
Gould made no mistake to stay an
old maid
Perhaps even the first OF the grand
oil maids, Miriam. Of Old Testament
history, suffered little raillery from
her associates, because she was some
hundreds Of years ahead Of her times,
but the sister of Moses knew the pos
sibilities Of good in woman who
hal her time free to think for the
race, and she carved for herself a
place In Bible history that suffers
nothing in comparison TO the deeds
OF ne greatest Of the wives
The same tendency Of the old maii
of ability to stand out in strong re-
lief win be found throughout the en-
tire RACES OF history
Jeanne dare, although perhaps
she cannot be said 10 have lived 10
the period of life when she could be
called an old maid, went to her mart
yrdom without ever having enter
tanned a thought Of matrimony.
Queen Elizabeth couldshard!y have
made for herself such a magnificent
place in the annals OF English achie-
yemCnt If she had encountered the
rivalry OF husband, Throughon. |
all the wonderful period Of her reign, |
n time that produced Shakespeare |
and a dozen other great writer's. that
saw England gain a mighty footholil
IA the new world, and come victor
ous from many conflicts by land and
sea the potent force OF an old maid
Sas at the helm.
Ask any British soldier what wo-
nan OF the last 200 years did the
most to lessen the rigors OF military
eryice and to give the fighting man
! chance against disease, foe more
o be feared than the bullets Of the
'nomy. and he viii reply
Florence Nightengale
Another old maid
ASK any American soldier who
ervei in the war against Spain, or
ap. or Russian who fought in the
ecent conflict. the same question that
vas suggested above as one TO put
o the British soldier. and again the
nswer will be the name of an old
Maid
Clara Barton
When this lady In 1881 organized
he American Red Cross Society end
ecsme its president. she inaugur.
ted movement that has gone far to
introduce mercy into warfare.