The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1953-01-02
OLD MAIDS ARE SAINTS

dlcted to cats Tor pets, nerNouSly
looking under their beds either in
fear or anticipation. Too long they
have been the butt of Jokes; too
long passed up by lonely widowers
seeking a second mate, and who
usually go for a sprightly widow
who more readily knows quick
way to a mans heart.
1t is time someone rose up with
good word for the "old maid"
Too often she is the victim of a
life of unselfish sacrifice; too Of
ten has she devoted her whole be-
ing to the service and comfort of
an aging or aiing parent. or the
upbringing Of the homeless chill
dren of a brother or sister. The
old maid is a person who has been
through the fires of sacrifice; who
has given a full measure Of de-
votion; who has denied herself her
birthright in life, in order to do no.
BILE and heroic things sometimes
out of duty, but more often from
q sense of love and devotion that
transcends the best that is in the
most Of us. If any women become
saints, then the first who are cho-
sen are from the list Of odd maids"
whose life on earth has truly won
for them all the glories we hope
for in the hereafter.
One doesn't have to look far to
find one or more ladies so often
referred to as "old maids" to see
how true this is. We never know
how faithful and true, and tire
less a woman can seem to be, until
we see one devote years of loving
care, completely without reward or
hope of reward, to the service of
helpless mother, an aged father,
a needy sister. We see good women
give up their youth, and usually
all the pleasures that might go
with a normal life, too often fore
going needed association with other
people, in order that every moment
of their time may aid and comfort
the one who is the object of their
affections and their sacrifice.
We can point out as an exam
pie an old maid who has remained
single in order that she might de-
vote her earnings as a teacher to
the comfort of her parents left at
home while other children have
gone away to seek lives of their
own. We have seen old homes re-
paired and painted, and even mort
cages lifted by the faithful de-
votion of an old maid teacher or
one who worked in some other
profession, in order that the old
folks might end their lives in COM
fort and security.
| say that too few of us pause
to consider the debt humanity owes
its old maids. We talk of mother
love and sacrifice and devotion yet
after all, mother love seldom reach
es greater heights of sacrifice and
trial by fire, than does the death
less devotion and the hard labor
that is the lot of the old maid
whose sense of duty drives her
day and night to endure the trials
and hardships of caring for a mo-
Their, father, sister, or a brother
who is an invalid and thereby all
the more unreasonable and exact
ing in demands for attention; at
tention often not needed, but never
denied.
Old maids are saints, for where
else do you find women who will
marry widower with a houseful
of little ones, and bring them up
with the love and devotion of a
mother herself? Any of US can
name a number of instances of
this kind. Who but the old maid
sister has the courage and the en-
ergy, and the sense of duty to re-
main with her father and make
him a home to the end of his days,
and sometimes wait endlessly upon
brothers or sisters, or maybe the
children of either who keep COM
ing to add to the burdens of the
household and multiply the labors
of the patient aunt.
Sometimes we find an old maid,
who has lived a single life for three
score or more years, because she
was taking care of relative, MAX
ing good home for a brother per-
haps. And then maybe after three
score and ten have rolled past, car
rying with it all the opportunities
for companionable or happy mar
riage, she is left alone in the
world. Maybe she marries, only to
have brief span left her for a
household of her own, but more
often with another invalid on her
hands to sorely tax the last of her
strength, and leaving her but a
burden for someone else to care
for or support.
If we ponder long upon this the
DRY, we will doubtless find many
examples near US to readily prove
to US that old maids must be al
ways in the front row of the i'm
ASNl.