THE MAIDENS' PETITION

Temuka Leader, Issue 334, 28 December 1880, Page 2

THE MAIDENS' PETITION

j A petition was addressed, in 1733' "™ j (says " Chambers ' Journal',) to the.;. . I Governor of South Carolina by 16W maidens of Charlestown, which ran ( . thus:—"The humble petition of all; : the mai ; s whose names are underwritten. : Whereas we, the humble petitioners, are at present in a very melancholy disposition of mind, considering how all the] bachelors are blindly captivated hf*~MM widows, and our own youthful charms ■ thereby neglacted ; in censequence <**,■ this, our request is thatyeur Excellency lm will for the future order that no widow. S presume to marry any young till the maids are provided for, or else* H to pay each of them a fine for satis- ■■ faction for invading our liberties ; likewise a fine to be levied on all bachelors as shall be married to The great disadvantage it is to bemaid»Bß is that the widows, by their forward-M carriage, do snap up the young and have the vanity to think their mentM beyond ours, which is a great imposition:. M on us, wlio ougbt to have the preference;] H This is humbly recommended to yoS£ ■ Excellency's consideration, and we you will permit no furtlnf insults. we poor maids, in duty bonne, ever pray." The forlorn 16 very much approved the e Portuguese King, which above the age of 50 on the ground that experience taug. that widows of that kg common wedded young men. of dissipated the fortunes brought them, to the P re "dren,and other relatives. C^j^^^^^^^f