It is a very honorable title, because it suggests that the person
bearing it is not an idler, but a useful woman. In olden times--a
hundred years ago, for instance--in every household there would be a
spinning-wheel and a loom, and part of the regular work of the daughters
of the house was to spin, weave, bleach, dye, and prepare the garments
of the family. To be a spinster was to be an important member of the
community.
* * * * *
Is it right to say party when you mean person?