River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-01-24
Girls and Their "Beaux.'
MARY A. =. WAFER FISHER.

they know nothing about In European
countries a history of this sort would be
almost an impossibilty, owing TO the So
cial laws there governing the Intercourse of
young men and maidens In this coun-
| try, where the license of society permits
complete liberty of action in regard to
| such intercourse, many indiscretlons are
| INDUCED in that result, at times, in very
| poignant and heart-breaking sorrow.
a young man-good- gallant,
| pleasant, intelligent-comes into the
neighborhood. He makes himself agree
able to the girls, and in fortnight or
months time they accept him as an escort
to ball, party, might meetings" singing
schools, lectures, etc, and this without
having any absolute knowledge of who,
and what he is. He has been introduced
as Mr.. So-and-So, with which vague pass
port he makes his way into general society
and into the sanctitY of private houses.
But the story is better than any remarks
on the subject can be. Every word of it
is but too sadly true:
4 few summers ago, a young man, APP
parently a tourist, alighted at the most
aristocratis hotel in the beautiful village
of i, in Central New York. While
lounging on the front piazza. his attention
was arrested by very pretty young WON.
an whose daily walk led her by the hotel.
| He inquired who she was, and in a short
time had learned from some gossipy CO.
lounger, that she was Alice Kent, that
her parents were of the highest respecti-
bility in the town, and that they had re-
lations living at certain place in New
England. AS it happened, the young man
knew something about these relations, his
own place of nativity being near their
neighborhood
He had no acguaitances in I, but
being determined to make the acquaint-
ance of Miss Kent, he resolved to intro
duce himself By forging letter of in
PRODUCTION to her family from one of the
New England relations. This done, he
presented himself at Mr. Kent's residence,
delivered his letter OF introduction, told
plausible story concerning his business
at =, and was received with the cour-
tesy that's usually accorded pleasant peo-
pie bearing similar credentials. His at
tentions to Alice soon became very mark
ed-so much so. as to excite the interest
of her parents, who at various times felt
inclined t. write to their Massachusetts
friends for further particulars regarding
theyouug man to whom they had given the
Introductory letter, but always neglecting
50 TO do. Meantime Alice and the young
man walked, talked, and rode together.
their rides frequently extending to an
hour as late as ten o'clock in the even
ing
One dav, few weeks after the begin
ming OF this acquaintance, Mr.. Kent re-
| turned home with the announcement that
/ the young man had suddenly left the vii
| lage without paying his hotel livery, and
| other bills; that u telegram and an officer
| had been sent after him; that an exam
nation of the contents of trunks left be-
| hind him had aroused suspicious of a
grave character, etc.
| The effect of this news upon Alice was
most alarming. She said little, but it
| was plainly evident that she suffered in.
| tensely. The young man was arrested,
| brought back to L, a description and
| account of him sent to New England
where the relatives Of Alice lived, and the
| information obtained that he had a wife
| living there, that he was an Enthusiastically
| character, and that his letter of intro
duction was q forged one.
! Alice's parents. believing that nothing
more serious than "firtation" and per-
/ haps sincere love making had transpired
between him and their daughter, express
ed themselves as being glad THAT it was
no ~ When the girl surprised them
| by sinking on the floor at her fathers
| feet, crying, ooh, father, it could be no
worse!" She then confessed that she had
| been privately married tC the young man
a few days before upon one OF their long
drives in the country, and detailed the
| pei suasions and means he used for wish
ing that the marriage be kept secret.
The anger Of the parents equallea the
anguish OF thir daughter, and a criminal
prosecution for bigamy was begun againsl
the young man. 1t was a useless thing
| to do, so far as Alice was concerned, for
power higher than earthly edicts was
surely lifting her beyond The terrible re-
suit of her folly. She was dying of a
| broken heart.
! The trial resulted in establishing the
guilt of the adventurer, and was sentenced
| to State Prison for five years. After sem
tence was pronounced upon him, he was
taken at the earnest request of Alice, to
see her. The jailor led him into the
room, where she lay dying, and kept his
| eye uopn the prisoner, as Alice pleaded
| with him for the sake of the love she had
given him, to reform his life. When she
had put her thin hands on his and told
| him what she had suffered because ofhim
how truly she had loved him that she
was soon to die--that her parents were
heartbroken-it was enough to soften the
! hardest heart. But he stood unmoved,
and when the iailor led him away, he
sneeringly laughed and made some light
remark about the ease with which girls
were won, Three days later he was
taken, handcuffed, to Auburn, and on the
same day the body. of Alice Kent was
carried to the graveyard.
What need to add more? No girl wishes
to learn discretion through self-exper
fence like that which broke the heart of
Alice King. But are you all sufficiently
careful of your associations2 A sus-
picious manner and naughty bearing
are neither necessary nor pleasing; one
may be civil and polite without intimacy.
| But it is far better to decline the social
advances of persons whom you do not
know, than to receive them and after
wards have cause to blush because of your
acquaintance with them. Rather than
be like the late Judge Nicholas of Ken
lucky.
I Let me make you acquainted with
Judge Nicholas, said gentleman to a
friend, himself judge, as Nicholas en-
tered the Bank Of Kentucky one morn
/ ing.
1T can't be DONE responded the
friend, lit has been tried several tines
With him. introduction did not intro
duce--a very good motto for young ladies
who meet with indiscriminate society.
Miscellaneous Paragraphs.
If some men were measured by the
size of their hearts and souls, gun-patch
would make them suit Of clothes, in