Centre Hall reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1868-1871, 1871-10-06
The scrpent IN The Household.

z The terrible "trunk" tragedy. fol-
lowed closely by other tragedies well
nigh as terrible, have startled and shock
cd the nation, This time tho serpent
has thrust his hiaaing tongue into our
very iacea but there IL a whole brood
like unto him nesting still in dark con.
eealmenta. Into two or three dena OF
death the daylight of detection has
atroamed but they are only specimens
Of class more numerous than we have
dreamed Of. They are fresh proofs OF
the fact that in our great cities there
exists distinct class of " institutions,' y
organized for the sole purpose of extin.
gushing human life. They arc run "
by body Of infamous creatures, whose
only trade iA 10 murder While We are
sending our money and our missionaries
60 convert heather women, who are
throwing their babes into the Ganges.
we have among us scores OF dens TO
which our own women 60 voluntarily
for the murder OF the unborn So
prosperous are these ahortion-denS that
their proprietors can buy farms aud
drive fine carriages Such prosperity
bespeaks large patronage. Who are
the patrons
IL is an undeniahle fact that many Of
them are under the solemn VOWS Of we'd
lock. Some of these. having broken
the Seventh Commandment, arc driven
10 break the Sixth Commandment 10
conceal their transgression. They com
init murder TO hide adultery. But an
other aud larger class are those who
regarl tho sweetest blessings Of wedlock
as a burden and bane. Instead Of
feeling that children are a heritage Of
the Lord, these most unnatural mon
sters regard them AZ plague and a
nuisanee-a heavy tax on time and
strength and purse. a hindnnce 10 their
gayeties, or hateful intruders upon their
ease aud self-indnlgenee. So, rather
than become mothers they become mur-
dercrs Nor is il only in those hideous
slaughter houses where the modern
Herods slay the innocents that these
deeds of darkness are done. This crime
is perpetmted in hundreds of private
dwellings. The medicines AM re-
liefs 30 widely and Niekedly advertised
are sent fer and used for the prevention
Of maternity. Medical art has devised
dozen "sure and easy methods for
destroying the germs Of infant life. That
they are used 20 an extent almost in
credible is well known by family physi-
clans, who are called upon 10 repair the
rayages OF these vile potons. For these
methods are not so easy" after all
They cost many Il woman ruined con-
slitunon. They cost the power Of after
propagation. They sometimes cost the
life of the guilty wife who haTbors this
serpent in the home-nest We heard
lately of the death of gay aud beauti-
ful wife in the pangs of premature child
birth. The terrible secret came out that
her constitution had been utterly ruined
by haf-dozen previous crimes OF abor-
ton. The broken law Of God found
her ont I" at last. Every woman who
practises any method 10 destroy an un-
born life does il ai her own peril The
serpent stings the breast that harbom IT,
That secret crimes for the prevention
Of offspring are fearfully prevalent aud
on the increase is an undoubted fact.
One proof Is fonnd in the relative de-
crease in the SiLe Of families. A fine.
bouniiful progeny is frequently spoken
Of as an old-fAshioned fAmily--snnh n
family as was common before the ''srre
and easy" arts Of faticide. Other proofs
are found in the shattered health of
wives. Others still are furnished by
family physicians. Is II not time that
this dangerous and diabolical crime
was stopped Should not every pulpis
thunder against il Should not phyEi
cians be plain and emphatic in their
warnings 10 the welded pairs whom
they may suspect of these secret sins ?
They are not so 'secret" rs their pcrpe-
traitors may imagine. Murder viii out
But il is not alone among the married
thai the crime Of child murder or the
arts Of abortion find their patrons
Thousands Of the unmarried, who have
sinned against Gods law Of chastity,
fee 10 these accurSed arts 30 hide their
shame. The poor Paterson girl who was
stung to death 10y this serpent. was but
one Of an increasing army of victims
Let us not stop with results but 60
back TO causes. Why is the sin Of hcen-
tiousness i'm all SIS phasesl growing 50
rapidly ?-N 7. LIGapeNdeAt.