Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-02-06
MISCELLANEOUS.
A MELANCHOLY PICTURE-THE
FRUITS OF VICE,

The lines of Pope were never more forci-
bly, brought to our mind, than in the exami-
nation oil a young woman at the Police Court
in this city a few days since:
"Vice is a monster Of such hideous mien,
That to be hated, needs but to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure. then pity, then embrace"
The defendant was a girl not more than
nineteen years Of age, who answered TO the
name of Charlotte Williams, and pleaded
not guilty to the charge Of being a common
drunkard and vagrant. She had evidently
been a girl well educated, ard once possess
ed beauty; but her appearance now exhibited
the most abandoned recklessness, and an ut
ter restitution of all moral feeling. She was
worn by disease consequent to her career of
infamy, and her haggard and relaxed features
exhibited a death like hue. As is usually
the case with such persons, the examination
was soon finished, and she was sent over to
the House of Correction. From a person in
Court, we gained a brief account of her ear
ly history.
Her parents now live in the town of Spring.
field, Massachusetts, and are highly respect
ed-her father is a member of the church,
About five years ago, a young man from a
neighboring town became acquainted with
tllt ldllllNs UnllIA Il L lOkIdCLCu NiCChln23 anu
was admitted into the family circle as a
companion. His acquaintance ripened grad
ually into friendship, and the youth, beauty
and fascinating manners of the daughter, won
his heart In love. She conided in him all
her hopes, her secrets and wishes; they were
betrothed in heart. The father saw him as
a son, and the daughter looked on him as
her future husband. That most happy peri
cd in female existence grew bright and JOY
Gus with future anticipation. But IN an un-
guarded hour when passion was alone her
guide, the genius of virtue slumbered, and
she gave way to his unhallowed deslres.-
He fled from the house whose fireside he had
made wretched. from the gentle one whose
confidence he had betrayed, whose happiness
he had blasted forever. The poor female
was spurned by her acquaintance, and her
fault grew every day more rife upon the Idle
ear of rumor. She turned her weeping eyes
in repentance to her parents, from whom she
had expected forgiveness and an asylum,
and from whom alone nature whispered that
the healing balm would be administered to
her wounded spirit,-but they spurned her
from Mem-cast her of from the home Of her
childhood, and left her at the mercy 9 an un-
feeling tcorM
She fled from parents whose doors were
closed against her, and from those whose
childish days had mingled in love and har-
mony with her own. She came to this city.
She was yet young and beautiful. Vice saw
her and marked her for his own. Dazzled
by the offers of wealth and apparent case,
she sought the only refuge at hand, in a house
of infamy-there her ruin was soon made
complete. ''Tho way of the transgressor is
hard, %'itproved true to her. She became steep
ed in lnfamy, and lntemperance was sought
to drown remorse. In the prime of life she
wasted its loses in intoxication; health, hap
piness and reputation fell its sacrifce--and
misery, shame, disgrace and Indebtedness
were heaped as curses upon her. Step by
step she was led into that awful whirlpool of
vice, until r~etrieval was in vain, and upon its
fatal rock she at last fell a shattered wreck-a
dreadful retribution of vice!
What a melancholy commentary is this,
on the cruel laws of custom, which instead
CT fostering the unfortunate, until repentance
has restored them to their high estate, leaves
them to perish in the world! Instead of cher
ishing with care the rose whose branches
have been crushed, and whose brightness
dimmed, until it is again restored in all its
bloom and freshness, leaves it to decay and
fall withered to the ground!-BOstOn paper.
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