Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-10-05

and half to the acre besides this much
wild grass is cut.
The Serpent in the Household.
The terrible "trunk" tragedy, fol-
lowed closely by other tragedies well
nigh rs terrible, have startled and shock
ed the nation. This time the serpent
has thrust his Kissing tongue into our
very faces but there is u whole brood
like unto him nesting still in dark con-
cealments. Into two or three dens of
death the daylight of detection has
streamed 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"
organized for the sole purpose of extin-
gushing human life. They are "run "
by body of infamous creatures, whose
only trade is to murder While we are
sending our money and our missionaries
to convert heather women, who are
throwing their babes into the Gangcs,
we have among us scores of dens to
which our own women go voluntarily
for the murder of the unborn SO
prosperous are these abortion-dens that
their proprietors can buy farms and
drive fine carriages! Such prosperity
bespeaks large patronage. Who are
the patrons
1t is an undeniable fact that many of
them are under the solemn VOWS of we'd
lock. Some of these, having broken
the Seventh Commandment, are driven
to break the Sixth Commandment to
conceal their transgression. They COM
nit murder to hide adultery. But an
other and a larger class are those who
regard the sweetest blessings of wedlocll
as burden and q banc. Instead of
feeling that "chillren are a heritage of
the Lord, these most unnatural "mon-
STEERS regard them as a plague and a
nulsance-a heavy tax on time and
strength and purse, a hindrancc to their
gayeties, or hateful intruders upon their
ease and self-indulgence SO, rather
than become mothers they become MUIR
derers Nor is it only in those hideous
Slaughter-houses where the modern
Hcrods STAY the innocents that these
deeds of darkness are done. This crime
is perpetrated in hundreds of private
dwellings,. The medicines anl "re-
liefs so widely and wickedly advertised
are sent for and used for the prevention
of maternity. Medical art has devised
a dozen "sure and easy" methods fol
destroying the germs of infant life. That
they are used to an extent almost in.
credible is well known by family physi.
clans, who are called upon to repair tho
ravages of these vile potions. For these
methods are not so "easy" after all
They cost many woman ruined con-
stitution. They cost the power Of after
propagation. They sometimes cost the
life of the guilty wife who hNrbors this
serpent in the home-nest. We hearC
lately Of the death of gay and bcauti
full wife in the pangs of premature child
birth, The terrible secret came out that
her constitution had been utterly ruined
by half-dozcn previous crimes Of abor
ton. The broken law of God "founC
her out" at last. Every woman who
practiscs any method to destroy an un
born life does it at her own peril The
serpent stings the breast that harbors it
That secret crimes for the prevention
of offspring are fearfully prevalent anC
on the increase is an undoubtcd fact
One proof is found in the relative de
crease in the size of families. A fine
bountiful progeny is frequently Spoken
of as an old-fashioned family-such {
family as was common before the "surC
and easy" arts of fetcidc. Other proofs
are found i'll the shattered health o
wives. Others still are furnished by
family physicians. Is it not time tina
this dangerous and diabolical crime
was stopped ? Should not every pulpi
thunder against it !? Should not physi
clans be plain and emphatic in theil
warnings to the welded pairs whom
they may suspect of these secret sins
They are not so "secret' as their pcrpc
traitors may imagine, Murder will out
But it is not alone among the married
that 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
flee to these accursed arts to hide thei
shame. The poor Paterson girl who wa
stung to death by this serpent, was bu
one of an increasing army of victims
Let us not stop with results but g
back to causes. Why is the sin of licen
tiousness lin all its phases growing 81
rapidly ?-N Y. independent.