Daily Republican., 1882-08-14
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MONDAY. AUGUSTA, 1889
From Virtue 10 Vice.

hR - - OO7 A"A ~
FROM Virtue 10 Vice.
Were it not that the fate of Cora Lent
was the fate of hundreds of girls of six
teon we might pass her fate by without
a word of remark farther than to record
her fall from virtue TO vice in one sad
plunge. But Cora is only one of the
great NUN Der that for want Of proper
thought, proper training by parents
and proper principle, make shipwreck
of character at the very childish outset
of lite, hence word in general to this
class in the hope that Cora's sad fate
may be watch light to keep others
from following the same road.
Ten days ago Cora, bright eyed,
sunny haired, pretty little girl of six
teen, made the rooms of her parents in
Peekskill, New York, resound with joy.
GUS laughter. She was just old enough
to begin to gather the photographs of
the likeliest boys in the village to put
away in her album. Her father was
an auctioneer and kept a store we'll
filed with trinkets, in the sale of which
Cora could make herself very dexter
Gus and useful. The New York militia
encamped week before last at Peeks-
kill. In the regiments from the great
city were bright eyed lads of eighteen,
some of them wearing corporal's shoul.
der knots, Just such lively young fel.
lows as would attract a giddy girl of
sixteen. We need not wonder that one
of these epauletted store clerks from
the city was attracted by Cora's youth.
ful beauty, and that before tattoo beat
in the evening he was seen talking and
spending his time in the company of
the giggling girl, sitting on store box
in front of her fathers store. Where
was Cora's mother all this time? tits
feared Ike many other silly mothers,
she was tlattered with the attention
paid to her daughter by young SOL
dier-for wasn't he clerk in his faith
er's store in New York, and he so young
and yet corporal on the high road 10
distinction? She did just as many 9TH
CT misguided, weak mothers would
have done. Instead of calling her
daughter in, she permitted her to toss
her carls and giggle and laugh with
the young city chap until tattoo sum-
moned him to camp. The regiment
broke up camp on last Friday week
ago and went back to che city, and Cora
broke up the happiness of her home
ana went along. 1t was only then that
her parents found what fools they had
been. Iudulgent parents generally find
that out when it is too late. They then
look back over the past and see where
they were remiss in doing their duty.
But it is too late.
OF course a great excitement follows.
The papers took it up and the abduc.
tiOn, as it was called, was published
far and wide. But that did not bring
back to the arms Of the induIgent but
foolish parents the child of their
love in the virtuous innocence of
childhood.
Cora came back voluntarily a week
Afterwards, Gut how changed in so short
time. How quick the fall from vir.
tue to vice. The bloOdless face and the
hard drawn lines around the mouth
told the tale. Had she come back re-
pentant to her parents arms like the
poor prodigal, it might in some meas.
ure have assuaged their troubles. But
she was tOtally fallen and depraved.
She was i'll fed and hungry and came
home to get something good to eat, and
then as If pleased with the life she had
chosen, she wanted to return. Poor
fallen giIl Poor wreck of humanity !
But are there not many such girls and
such parents in Wilmington? The
leaving of her home by Cora Lent with
a soldier, formeu the public text for
comment. Hundreds of others do not
leave home, but they fall all the same
If parents would but open their eyes
they would often find their daughters
chatting under the gas lights with men
intent only upon their ruin. Girls of
this kind tramped Market street nearly
from end to end last Saturday night,
and they will do 50 tonight again and
every night this week and for weeks to
come, while their parents are under the
impression that they are merely max
ing call upon neighbor. From sew.
en- to ten O'Clock gives three hours for
young girls with men, who are
but vultures of human prey, to visit
The beer gardens and other vestibules
That lead as surely as they live to worse
than physical death. In every even
ing walk young girls take their lives in
their hands and risk forture and char.
scter when they stop to pass word un-
der the gas lights on the corners of the
streets, with a "picked up acquaint.
ance."
BYA LITTLE hurried calculation a
day or two ago we made the match tax
question appear in too favorable light