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About The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898 | View Entire Issue (May 3, 1889)
NEW ENGLAND SPINSTERS Wfeat BeenauM of th fiorpluce of Wa" n ltt th Kaatora fttataa. It has often been asked rhat become of the surplus ol the female over the male population of some of the States, especially of Massachusetts and Con neclicut and pet-hap of some of the other "down east" commonwealths. An estimable ladj by the name of ML Rebecca Jones, who herself belongs to that number and who was a school teacher for nearly twenty year in a small Sew England town, and who U now vLsitinjj friends In Brooklyn, pave some interesting: statistics bearing upon this point to tha writer of this article. Said she: "I have kept a record of the g rls who have graluated from the high school of my nntive village, where liave been a school teacher since 1871, what they have done and what has bo come of them." She gave the figures for the classes of the years 1871 to 1876 from eightwn to eleven years ago and strange fig tires for any marrying and giving in marriage community they are. Con tinuing, she said: "The average" age of the female graduates from a typical Sew England school is between sixteen or seventeen years. Hence it will appear that the women of whom this lkt hits boon made, ranging to-dny between twenty nine and thirty-fonr years old, liavt done the greater part of all the "set tling in life' that they are likely to da Out of a total of ninety-nine graduate there were twenty-seven marriages, eleven deaths and sixty-nine are still single. Strange as it may seem, the eleven deaihs were all caused by con sumption. There have been two case f insanity, both of the twenty-seven married group. The largest number of children of any is three. Three of the girls went to college after leaving the high school, all of whom are mar ried. Of the unmarried sixty-one, twenty one follow a very usual feminine call ing that of Bchoolma'am. One is at Hampton. Vs., teaching the Indians; the other twenty are in country schools in or near by their homes. Three set type; one reads proof; one is head dress maker in a large establishment in ?tew York city; four are dressmakers on their own hook; one is practicing med icine; three are music teachers, fifteen are stitchers and buttonhole makers in shoe shops, and the rest are home bod ies. Just what has brought about such a preponderance of spinster-hood it is not altogether easy to say. Some people have contended that it did not exist, but statistics prove to the contrary. Such people have explained the great surplus of women in New England on the sup position that most of them are widows, made so by the hazardous occupation of the men along the Eastern coast Wid ows there are in plenty, but the sixty one of my records certainly never mar ried. "Probably most of them never had an opportunity to marry. There are few marriageable young men at the present time to be found in most of the small New England towns. The serene quiet of this most lethargic rural section of the country does not suit the active spirit of young men of the day. They go away before they are vi enough to marry, and the chances are that they don't come back again. "If tbey do return they are impressed with the lack of money in New Eng land, outside of the cities, by the length of time since the houses have been painted and the amount of calculation required before he can find a place where he can satisfactorily spond a dollar. They do not stay long enough admire the hardy thrift that can wring a comfortable support from the ftonysoil where a New Yorker would starve, and the girls they left behind them' can not compare, so they seem to think, for beauty of dress, fascinat ing coquetry or small talk of society with the blandishments of the city girls, who have insensibly become to them the standard for admiration. . "These things considered, it is for tunate for the spinster that she is fast learning to think it a natural end not altogether unpleasant state of affairs to be what she is. They do not look an unhappy lot, and New England is learn ing to be tender of and appreciate them. She does not call them "old maids,' and the fiction of their youth is kept up till they die. One may hear of the 'Fisher girls,' the 'Smith girls,' and so on for weeks before the truth dawns that the girls' are well pat the half century mLlewUme of life They never married and no one was ever cruel enough to mark out any lino beyond which they ceased to be young. They are self-respecting and universally respected. "There are New England towns in great numbers, wher the boot educat ed and best bred Yankee girl, of the hel colonial families, can go into the shoe shop and work there for years af ter she has ced to be a girl, save by courtly, and still read the classics and move in, perba; lead, the mml ariato cratic society of tae I. Mi&u ana t.iorvzz. ( RELIGIOUS AND EDUCATIONAL. During the last year the sum total of educational gifts in this country was nearly fo.0O0.W0. Amusements ars to religion liks breet.es of air to the flame gentle ones will fan it, but strong ones will put it out. Dr. Thomas. The Soudan has been almost totally neglected by Protestants as a field tor missionary effort It has a population of about 60.000,000 people. A grant of a year was recently made out of the appropriation for the Indian Bureau to aid the industrial school carried on in Dakota, near the Crow Creek Agency, by Miss Howard, a daughter of Joseph Howard, Jr., the journalist ' Young people ought to be interest ed in our public schools. These schools 0!n the doors of knowledge to all classes and conditions of American youth. We can not begin to estimate their importance in the development of our national life. No business pursuit or employ ment should be ' engaged in, however profitable it may be, or may promi-e to be, il we can not glorify God in con nection with it No plea of necessity, or force of circumstances, is justifiable for wrong doing. Again and again, at home and abroad, the world has seen and con fessed the power of the old-lashioned Bible and its truth to brighten the face of human society. If free religion can do it better, by all means let the world see it done at onca Boston Congre gutionalist It is no more possible for an idle man to keep together a certain stock of knowl edge, than it is possible to keep together a stock of ice exposed to the meridian sun. Every day destroys a fact a rela tion, or an influence; and the only way of preserving the bulk and value of the pile is by constantly adding to it Rev. Sydney Smith. The cost of maintaining public schools in New Tor State last year was $14,980,841, an increase of more than f 1.2UO.O00 over W7. This money was for the education of 1.772.958 chil dren of school ag. of whom 1.0,13. 2G9 attended school. The number of teach ers employed was S1.72G, at an average annual salary of f 419. 75. The foundation of all education, from the time a child first begins to learn, is thoroughness. Whatever is attempted must be carried out thor oroughly. until the learner becomes master 'of the subject Thoroughness is the groundwork of all good habits of mind, and a child's mind is as much a bundle of habits as its body. "We have so much to be thankful for," is an exclamation often heard from the thankful heart and it is all true so true that if but the vail that obscures our earthly vision were lifted, and we could see for a moment how much has been done for us. perhaps it might lead to increased thankfulness expressed in life and deed, even if less in words. Christian at Work. WIT AND WISDOM, Truth can be outraged by silence quite as cruelly as by speech. An unkind criticism is like a pin the better its point the more it hurts. Merchant Traveler. We have great respect for the pene tration of the man who discovers good qualities in us. Boston Courier. The man with polished manners rubs along easily through the world but it is because he rubs that he is polished. Nothing will render, a man useless than to live among people who think that every thing he says is right Milwaukee Journal, We are all of us more or less hum bugs in this world, but most of us won'? allow anvbodv but ourselves to say so. i Somerville Journal. When you have found the master passion of a man, remember never to trust him where that passion is con cerned. Lord Chesterfield. The man who is drawn into a scheme to invest one cent and draw out one dollar may not be a fool, but he is in no danger from brain fever. Tolerance and charity come with age and exjerieuce. I see no fault committed that I myself could not have committed at some time or another. Goethe. No Congress, nor mob, nor guillo tine, nor fire, nor all together, can avail to cut out burn or destroy the offense of superiority in persons The superiority in him is the inferiority in me. The art in which the secret of human happiness in a great measure consists, is to sot the habits in such a manner that every change may be a change for the better. The habits themselves are much the same; for whatever is made habitual becomes smooth, and easy, and nearly indifferent The return tc an old habit is likewise easy, whatever the habit be. Therefore the advantage is with those habits which a'low ol an indulgence in the deviation from tlif;rtt.-;Pl-y. (iMPP, BURREIM Faim fflaiw. Saw ills. 5ie lis, Pitts' Engines and Threshers, Bain Wagons, Hacks and Buggies, and All Kinds of Two and Four Wheeled Vehicles. McCormack and Deering Binders and Mowers, Oliver Chilled Plows, Carden City and Moline Plows, Disc Harrows, Wood andiron Floating Harrows, BARBED WIRE. MONITOR SEfcOERS AND DRILLS. SINCLE AND DOUBLE HARNESS. SOLE A CENT FOR THE LICHTNINC HAY PRESS, THE BEST IN THE WORLD. F. H. ROSCOE, BIUCH THE NEWEST, Nobbiest and Largest Stock of CLOTH II G! In the County, is now to be Seen on th . u i (i: cf Of Albany, Oregon. &" When you want to "drfusup," we would be glad to show you through and make the right price. Merchant Tailoring a specialty. Mb. E. A. Scueffler i an expert, and has charge of this department We guarantee satisfaction. H. J. JONES. DEALER IN- wa, Mm, Mi M -AND- School Supplies. ALBANY, ORECON. SUBSCRIPTKMS RECEIVED For All the Leading Maga zines and Newspapers. jV.LTSIVY, OREGON. Wholesale and Retail Dealers in 3 ' R. L Mil (8uceMor to C. H. IUrmox.) BARBER & HAIRDRESSER LKB.tSOX. OKE4.0X. ' SHAVING, HAIR n'TTING AND HHAM Iki1iik ill the Int'-M and fx-Kt ty)e. Hjx- il attfiitlun paWI to ilr.'.ninK Lalti' hair. Your J. M. Keene, D. D. S. Dental Parlors Office: Breyman Bros. Building, HAI.EM,ORF,0!f. gSf Hours from 8 A. M. to 6 P. U. COMPANY, Manager. G. T.COTTON, PEA LEA IS Groceries and Provisions. 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