Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-07-12
Ellie Da Costa.
THE RUIN OF YOUNG GIRLS or TIE AIppLI
CLASS TIE CRIME OF FASHIONABLE LIFE.
From the New York Triburr.

From the New ork TTibuEr.
One night not long ago. this young girl III
n haunt of vice. i'll Philadelphia, accidental
ly while at supper, put her foot on rarlor
match, which set fire to her clothing An
other girl who ran to the rescue, shared her
fate their dresses were of thin material,
and blnzed over their heads while they He'd
shrieking to the street, and there burned
slowly to death, The men, their compan-
ions. stood by and offered no help. The sig
niiicaut part OF this horrible story ii that
both women were young, attractive. of good
birth and social position, both educated zone
Il graduate of Nassar college, both had left
homes OF comfort and ease. husbands and
children voluntarily, TO take dp this mode OF
lie, which in their case coUla boast OF no at
tractIve gliding The house in which they
met their fate was one Of the lowest OF Its
class the men whom they chose friends
belonged to a wretched negro minstrel show
degraded, cowardly brutes who stood of
in safety watching them die. Only two or
three days ago the police records of our own
city told an even more pltlible tale y hath
er found his daughter in an illegitimate place.
and strove by Illegal means to take her out
She defed him, the courts sustained her,
and she went out gayly from the court room
with her vile companions, gisgling at the dis
comtiture OF the broken-hearted father and
brother who stood with heads bowed IN
shame rs they passed by.
The most irghtful inct in our social life
faces us in these stories. Ii IL that there are
women in this lowest deep who are not driven
there bv want or cruelty nor led there by
betrayed affection women who have been
gently reared. educated, beloved, whose ma
lures are so tainted that they choose to go
out, like the prodigal of old. from the home
Al. II. lANN
many such are hidden in these dens God
only knows how many remain in their orig
inal position, the records of our divorce
courts, the foul gossip with which so-called
fashionable society reeks, not only IN this
country but England gives MS an appalling
hint 1t is useless to ignore this fact. Neither
the pulpit nor the press. II 1t means To help
ut all in the work OF bettering our social life,
ought to ignore the fact that certain portion
of American and English society is rapidly
becoming as licentious as that of Paris.
Who is to blame Tor it z Not human Ia
ture. Women and men are born AS pure as
they were generation ago. Not Christ r
religion His huud is as strong to save the
Magdalen in the streets of New York as of
Jerusalem 1t il the mothers who are to
blame. Mothers IN the fashionable society
in the cities, and III that society which ieebly
apes the fashion III towns and villages and
farm places from Maine to Oregon. who set
before their daught, rs, from their birth. dress
and show and style as the sole gods they are
to follow We venture to say that style,
that most vulgar ot words and things, has
done much to corrupt tho women of America
ns liquor has. Not only was 1t the cnuso ui
our financial downfall. but modesty, honesty,
decency are sacrificed to II. Fashion now
publishes even the rules Tor first eomnu-
mon dresses, " and sets forth the pipings and
couture III which an innocent glrl may pro
perly approach her God There is nothing
SO holy that II is not made subservirnt to II.
Ii is not the wealthy mother alone who VI
tntcs her chili's mind by tins worship of
folly but the mechanics wife. the poor seam
stress whose aim is to push her daughter
in society to give her stylish drcast IN
stead of II modest heart. clean mind and II
God fearing soul The moral training which
such mothers neglect Is supplied 10y hot
pressed sensational luveGilc literature, and
the reports of foul scandals IN the daily
newspapers. Listen to the precncious Bns-
sip OF the haunting over-dTcssed school glrs
who parade the streets ON II holldny, and the
Tragedies in Philadelphia and New York
which We have mentioned Will not seem
strange sequel to such training.
IL ~ but to II certain portion of our society
that these truths apply and that the smallest
The great obsoure mass oil American women
are honorable chastc and modest. In the
majority of our homes there are common
sense aud pieiy enough to give tnwdry dis
play its proper place III life and to curb and
direct the appetites which God has given to
men und women. II rests with mothers to
make that majority larger or smaller.