Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1880-12-25
THE FALLEN DAUGHTER.

was once in a position to learn much
about fallen daughters, and the history
of the pretty fallen Annie Bell is but
that of thousands in our country to day.
In almost every case where | made the
inquiry as to how and why they had
abandoned respected society and were
moral, legal and social outcast from SO
ciety, they gave me precisely the same
reason for their fall as the one assigned
by Annie Bell, viz: disappointment in
their marriage anticipations, ruin OF
character, and Punishment from the pa
rental roof, and being full of bitter des
pair, sought and found an asylum in
those dens of wretchedness and crime in
which are 10 be found beautiful daugh-
tiers of some OF the best families in the
world. The question presented by this
statement of the case is, who is response
BILE for the unhappy fate of this child ?
In the first place the iend who ruined
the unsuspecting and confding girl by
making promise of marriage to her so
that he might blast her character and
then desert her. Confinement in the
State pententiary for aterm often years,
would be but trivial punishment for
such damnable crime against frail,
innocent girl; against the peace, charac
ter and happiness of good family. A
child ruined, family ruined, but the
villain goes free, and is even recogniZ-
ed as a gentleman by society, while this
disgrace that never can be expunged by
any deeds of penance will ever attach 10
the character and name of the outcast
fallen girl. Is there any justice in thisf
A fearful responsibility is that which the
fall7and ruin OF his child places on the
parent Is it wise, is it humane, is il
prudent, is it natural, for a parent to
expel his own child from his and her
own home to become wandering out
cast in the cold and unchartable world
merely because through the passions OF
youth, excited and aggravated by the
conduct OF the other sex, she in an evil
moment fell and entailed ruin on herselfi
How many children would be saved
from hcrrid lives and miserable deaths
if fathers and mothers and guardians
would only do as the Prodigal Sons
father did, 90 out and meet them and
take them back to the parental root
again and by kindness make them your
children again, as before. 1t this line
of conduct was adopted by parents the
dens of infalny in Our cities and towns
would soon disappear for want Of re-
crnits; for it is your daughters whom
you, by your unnatural treatment have
made outcast, that are found in aud al
ways seek such asylums.
could furnish many personal illus
trations in vindication of what have
already stated, but deem it unnecessa-
ry to do so.
What a tremendous field is canvassed
out by this theme for the philanthropic
women of our country. To save their
fallen sisters is a moral and social enter
prise worthy of their most exalted am
bition and christian effort; and surely
there is no field so ripe for the haryes-
ter as this one now is.
Kindness will save many son and
daughter, whereas, wrath and illtrest-
ment will send thousands to ruin aud
wretchedness.
We should always remember that our
first parents fell from their high and
holy estate, and to fall has been inherit
ed by every descendant Of our first pa
rents and will be until the end OF time.
Let US have charity for the fallen and
erring ones, for charity covers multi.
tude OF faults. Kindness will do what
unkindness never can; it will win the
wandering heart back to paths Of virtue
and duty. Mans inhumaDity to man
makes countless thousands mourn.