Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-04-23
GALL FOR FUN"

/
limited number of young ladies'; OBJ
jeet, fun and mutual Improvement.
Address"
Such advertisements are often seen
In American newspapers, and of late
in the advertising columns of certain
Toronto journals, and the amount of
harm which results therefrom is
sometimes very distressing. A young
girl sees the advertisement, and bent
on ''fun," answers it. She can form
no idea of-who her correspondent is.
except by his letters, and these NAV
be couched in the most gentlemanly
language imaginable. 1t is very easy
for young and inexperienced girl to
be thus led on by some scamp, who
after due deliberation, proposes a
meeting. Urged on by curiosity the
girl consents. The young man may
be very well connected, and, in rare
instances, have no evil intentions,
but this is the exception, not the
rule. What his character is she has
no means of knowing. Up to this
the correspondence has been carried
on under assumed names, and the
probability is the young man sticks
to his. The girls affections are Sc
cured by plausible stories, and she
tells all about herself and relations.
The meetings commence to grow
more and more frequent, till at last
the denoument comes. The girl is
ruined under promise of marriage,
and the, fellow, unknown to any of
her friends, escapes his just punish
ment. Of course, this is not always
the case, but it occurs with such fire.
quency as to show the extreme dam
ger of this kind of diversion.
A distressing proof of the truth Of
this occurred in most respectable
family in this city about a week ago.
Eally in the summer the eldest
daughter, girl of about eighteen,
answered one of these advertise
ments. All went smoothly enough
for time. The parents paid no heed
to the numerous letters which were
constantly arriving, until the girls
late hours attracted the fathers at
tention. He demonstrated with her,
but as that had no effect more severe
measures were adopted. Shortly be-
fore the boats stopped running last
summer the daughter went off on an
excursion. and did not return that
night. She telegraphed that she had
missed the boat and would be at
home next day. On her return she
made plausible excuse for her alb
sence, but still continued to remain
out late nights. Her father at last
prohibited her leaving the house du-
ring the evenings, and this precipita-
ted what was sure to occur. One
afternoon she left home, ostensibly
to see lady friend. Night came on
and she did not return. The next
day passed without her putting in an
appearance. The parents, now thor
oughly alarmed, went to her room, to
find all her best clothes gone. Short
ly after they received telegram from
Buffalo, followed by a letter, explain
ing that she had run away to get
married, and appealing for forgive
ness. A week later the poor deluded
girl returned home. She had been
deserted by the heartless wretch who
lured her to ruin, and of whose real
name or antecedents she really knew
nothing.
Comment is unnecessary. The
facts as given above are in every
particular correct, and point their
own moral. Parents, look well after
your daughters acquaintances and
daughters, never answer advertise
ments similar to the one which heads
this article, or you may repent it in
sackcloth and Toronto Mail.