To Live Without Sex

Q Dear Miss Abigail: The prospects for men are not good in my life ~ I fear I’ll ever have sex again. How does a woman in my situation cope? Signed, Flo A Dear Flo: With such a horrific situation like yours, it only seems appropriate to refer to the writings of a housewife who […]

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Why Aren’t You Married?

Q Dear Miss Abigail: What are some good responses for a single woman to use when she is constantly hassled about her non-marital status, for example, “You are so young, and beautiful, why aren’t you married?” I have found that my own personal response of “I like my independence, dammit!” has proven inadequate. Please help! […]

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Forever Lonely ~ Or Not?

Q Dear Miss Abigail: Will I stay lonely forever? Signed, Maris A Dear Maris: I cannot say whether you shall remain lonely forever, my dear, for I do not know you or your situation. But Dorothy Dix’s words on the dateless girl (from a chapter in How To Win And Hold A Husband) offers some things […]

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Those Who May Not Marry

This week’s selection is from a book published by Dr. Warren Bowman, who was, at the time, pastor of a church in Miss Abigail’s home base, Washington, D.C. You’ll be relieved to find out that Home Builders of America (as I read in the introduction) “wholly avoids ‘pornographic paragraphs,’” and that “no one, indeed, would have […]

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Pleasures of a Single Bed

This selection comes from Live Alone and Like It: A Guide for the Extra Woman, written by Marjorie Hillis. I think I need to do a bit more reading about the “extra woman,” don’t you agree? 1936: Pleasures of a Single Bed It is probably true that most people have more fun in bed than anywhere […]

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Is She an Old Maid?

Q Dear Miss Abigail: My sister is thirty-two years old and unmarried. Is she an old maid? Is there any hope or should we give up? Signed, Antoine A Dear Antoine: Give up? Thirty-two is certainly not dead. Besides, she might be perfectly happy with her singleness. I bet she’s absolutely joyous! Even though it […]

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A Girl’s Best Friend

Here’s something for the fabulous (and plentiful) singles out there. Ladies, get ready to “contemplate” those Ex-Men! This is from a 1949 book titled How to Be Happy While Single, and goes out to my partners in crime one memorable Valentine’s weekend oh-so-long ago: Liz, Molly, and Sarah. 1949: A Girl’s Best Friend A young single […]

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Plunging In

With all my books on the subject of love, marriage, and happy ever after, it’s sometimes refreshing to flip through the few in my collection devoted to the fine art of being single, something my friends and I have had a lot of experience with. Here’s a tidbit from one of these books ~ How To […]

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