and to demonstrate, that the noble and more divine faculties which make our species angels, in all but outward form, are bestowed by our Creator alike on both sexes. To you may wisdom "her better gifts impart Each moral beauty to the heart, By studious thought refin'd. For wealth, the smiles of glad content, K LETTER FROM AN HONORARY OLD MAID. CHAPTER VIII. No sooner was our work announced to the in rhyme, in Sisterhood at large, than we were literally overwhelmed with congratulatory and laudatory epistles, from the ' dear creatures,' prose, and in sounding blank.' Urgent entreaties were appended to many of these, that we would give them a niche in our volume; this we grieve LETTER FROM AN HONORARY OLD MAID. 195 to say was impossible, though the time may come, when we shall print a catalogue raisonnè of them. One thing connected with these letters was in the highest degree gratifying, and demonstrated that the anticipations we had indulged in, as to the excellent effects of our labors, would be more than realised. This was, that many of them were written by ladies, who had not even attained our prescribed limit as to age, and yet they claimed rank in our order,' with a degree of empressement, which showed how highly it had risen in their estimation. This has given rise to a fear, that the sex, in place of studiously making itself younger, than it is, in truth, will now add to its age, to gain admission in our ranks. This, though highly flattering to us, we do not wish to happen. We would say to it, be what Nature has made you, and as old as Nature has made you,' and then you must be right. One of the letters we shall however give, as we wish our fair friend to tell her own tale in her own way : "And am I then a thing to be beloved!' interest the ' classification' of our order,' which you, its able' champion,' have instituted, and find that you would gladly learn any peculiar cases of Old Maidism. "I can furnish one-for though I lack a year and a quarter of the period, at which you confer the honored title,' I beg that you will give me brevêt rank in the army of martyrs. "Without exactly belonging to any one of your five divisions,' by their description, whatever I may do by name, I share some attribute in common with each. Disclaiming the rare merit of those Voluntary Virgins,' who, in love with chastity, or some 'ideal being,' avoid the realities of wedded life-putting in no plea of 'coldness,' neither God help me! which pardon me gallant and flattering advocate! will never prevent my vain and helpless sex from seeking, in the support of a husband, to escape the odium of Old Maidhood. "I still less resemble the Involuntary' spinsters, in whom I do believe, who have fought against celibacy, both fairly and unfairly. "No Accident,' (that is, no death,) has ever torn a lover from me. "No Inexplicable' change came o'er the spirit of any dream that I inspired, nay, though I have been Literary,' from my eighteenth year, and once found my gay chansons' misinterpreted' by a critic, I am sure they were too feminine to scare a plough-boy, for I am almost as unpedantic as one. |