Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1859-05-05
Shameful Life.

We extract the following sensible re-
marks from adiscourse entitled "Shame
full Lite' by Rev. e. Fl. Chaplin of New
York city.
"There is neither justice, honor nor
delicacy in our modern custom, which
scarcely frowns upon the guilty man,
while pouring out all the walls of wrath
upon the guilty woman. The refined
woman recoils with virtuous scorn from
her fallen sister; but often welcomes
with brilliant homage him by whom
she fell The mantle of Christian char
ity is supposed to cover everybody,
though perhaps we ought to allow a lit
tie for natural shrinkage, and if there
be any whom it will cover, any who de-
sire to be left outside of its folds, it is
the man who trades in woman's afec-
tons, drags her down to ruin, then
leaves her to suffer and die, and goes on
smilingly and boastingly TO new con-
quests. The only use such men is to
make us believe i'll devil, or rather
that no particular devil IS necessary.
1t may or may not be true, as some
insist, that this foul cancer in society
can never be Grad icated; but we ought
at least to insist upon it that the shame
shall be fairly divided, that the shining
man shall be branded as deeply as a
shining woman. Suppose every guilty
man bore the marx, Of shame in his face,
in Broadway, in the market, or at church
how long would the the evil continue :?
But the meanness Of man has thrust
the whole shame upon women.
In the great house of the abandoned
are hundreds and thousands who strug-
gle to the last, and yield to temptation
only through positive and imperitiYe
want. In London, probably one-fourth
of the whole number resort to tie street
only to exc out living. In this city,
one broken-hearted creature yielded to
the tempter only to save a dying and
crippled sister from being turned into
the streets to starve. But another
heart was broken by the shameful self
sacrafice; the sick and crippled sister
lived only few weeks. The survivor
said, 81 do not like this life, / would
do almost anything to get out of it, but
now, hay .ng once done wrong, can
not get any work" And this is the
evil to be covered up with the smooth
tissue-paper of docency and delicacy.
1t is indicate to talk about it. Is il
indicate to starvc and die?
We are connected with this matter
by our opinions as to woman's sphere Of
employment. Better wages are deman
ded for women. Many sewing women
have but one or two dollars q week, to
keep off 3eath and the devil with. One
poor woman made caps at two cents
apiece. Would her muniiicent employ
Ell bewiilingto show himself? Hewoul(
probably need all the caps the poor
won IN ever made to hide his humble
sense Of merit. Many honorable and
pure women have to do with this mat
ter. When they dress themselves IL
garments cheaply purchased, they ma.
have dressed up a soul for the sacrifice
or sewed thread in a shroad Coul(
the veil be lifted, would they not see OF
their gay white dresses strange darl
spots and crimson patterns that the.
knew not of-spots Of inc ytlngulshabl'
red, that ali the seas cannot wash away
! Mingled in the Wreaths OF flowers OF
their fair heads, would they not see tn
grass that grows on graves?
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