The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-07-14
II Warning to Girls from the
Country.

Country.
The pleasures, the allurements. the
pomp, the glitter and the seeming ease
and happiness of life to the residents Of
the great city reach their seductive arms
into our rural districts, and hundreds Of
girls leave their innocent, comfortable and
happy homes in the country, with high
hopes OF securing advancement, wealth
and pleasure in the whirl of the metropo-
lis. Some girls of we'll balanced minds
may resist all temptations offered them,
but many fall, and once fallen, it seldom
or never happens that helping hand is
extended to them, and they 60 rapidly
down where they short time before
would have shuddered to look. Many
after their arrival here are betrayed by
friends, the old companions of their child
hood it may be, and seeing not a bright
spot on the horizon of the future, in des-
peratiOn embrace a life of crime and
shame, and despairingly endeavor to shut
out all thoughts of the happy past. Those
who escape are fortunate
We have been led into writing the
above upon hearing the circumstances con-
nected with the arrest of girl named
Sarah Brown, who was arraigned before
the police court, before Justice Maine, YES
terday, charged with the larceny of lot
of grenadine silk, valued at twenty-five
dollars, from dry goods store on Wash
ington street The theft was apparently
conclusively proved against her, and pun
lshment would have been inflicted had not
the court listened to her story, a simple,
pathetic, connected and truthful account
of the matter to all appearance.
Sarah said she was a native of small
town in New Hampshire, near the city of
Manchester, where she has been employed
some of the time in a mill Some ten
days since she received a letter from a
former playmate of hers, girl who had
been in this city some time, in which she
urged her to come here, as she (the friend)
was doing well, earning good wages and
and liked very much. She offered to pro-
cure her situation to tend in saloon,
where she would receive two dollars a
week and her board to commence with
Sarah came here, a few days since, and
her friend met her and walked with her
on the common, and about the public gar
den, and other places, and returning
through Washington street they called at
Il dry goods store On their way to her
friends home, after they had left the
store, Sarah was presented with bundle
containing the stolen dress goods by her
companion, who said: There. take that
and make you new dress" Sarah ask
ed where she got it, and was told that it
came from the store where they had been.
She took the goods and accompanied her
friend home.
After their arrival she was shown to a
room and told that she would have a man
to see her that nj ght, a soldier, and that
she could have five dollars of him if she
would stop with him. She tremblingly
inquired what kind of house it was, and
was told, with the remark additional that
she need not 90 to making fool of her
self; that she Cher friend) stopped there,
and liked it, as she could make her money
easily and lots of it, and if she was bright
she would do it. She utterly refused, say
ing she would lie in the street first. and IL
nallv agreed to remain in the house npon
condition that she could sleep with one
of girls.
The next day, Saturday last. was spent
in searching for house work, and a chari-
table woman allowed her to remain with
bcr one night. Sunday she spent on the
common, when she sat on the seats there
and wandered around, without mouth
full to eat all day. Monday she took her
present of the dress goods and carried it
to the same store from which it was stolen.
to exchange it for something that suited
her fancy better. She was Immediately
charged with the theft and arrested, as
her explanation was not believed, and had
it not been for her artless, unsophisticated
statement which the court was impressed
with, her sentence would have followed
and as an almost necessary consequence,
her utter ruin for the future. She stated
that she had had nothing to eat since Mon
day night up to three o'clock p. NJ. yester-
day. The case was continued on proba-
tion, as the court is entirely satisfied of
her innocence.
The above is only one of the many
cases which undoubtedly happen often,
where deceived, outraged and innocent
girls are doomed to ruin from a lack of
knowledge of the facts. The moral Of
the foregoing is that country maids had
better by far bear the ills they already
have, than flee to those they know not of.
Boston Herald.
The CRoPs.-From all parts of the
country we receive encouraging accounts
respecting the crops. Despite the immense