The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1884-07-19
Runaway Ma,rlag.

There have been given redntlv IN tb1
newspapers accounts Of runaway match.
e. in which the brides are &hool c;rIs
: under sixteen years of age. The c;1.
cumstances of the elopemenk as a ruIe
have been dramatic enouxhto floure in
dime novel, and have cdtainlv lost
nothing of their sensational character
as they have been copied fr1m one na.
per to another throughout he country
For example, here is one:
The daughter of q worfl,v farmer
aged fifteen, fell in love Will one of the
workmen on the farm. of wiose charoc.
ter her father strongly dsannroveJ
The man was discharged. The Girl wss
bldden to go to her school boks and to
dismiss the thought of hiband nnt;I
increasing years should giN her more
sense and judgment. e9
But the young lady hil received
from novels, ideas quite dihrent from
~, JUS sac eorfesponted Skretlv with
the young man, and laid, AeS,]ans The
next week she became app3ently very
i'll, and was seized with nvnlsions
nef poor lasher' IL an asoz of terror.
started to the nearest town br the doc.
tor;
On his return, taking sbort side
road to reach home oner Ae mot his
daughter and her lover o. cir wav to
tic -ai'foad station Ina8loycr look
the fee'ie OH 1nsn from Us carri.oe
bound him hand and loot h31, the lea!l,.
er reins. and drove away Nh,o,hant]~
leaving him lying on tlelgpund By the
roadside. III
Another story is that ,offa child Of
fourteen from Cincinnati. 4ho engaged
herself to marry q man wSom her pa
rents had forbidden her evh to know.
She was sent to school h the hone
that the folly would lab from her
mind; but she escaped ffo1 the school.
placed o bit of paper with |1S" on it in
her shoe. in order tnat sh{ might tell
the clergyman that she Is cover 49,"
and was married.
Her parents took her Hme. but she
ran away again, took the bnductor and
passengers into her cdfdence, and
when the man she had lArried found
her, threw herself scredhsnc into his
arms Wh,ie the crowd 3eered loudly. |
Now the important ibint in these
stories is not that these bung girls suo- |
ceeded in ncarrying out t1eir own fool /
ish wills. Having SUCCEEDED, thev will
some time pay the ,wukcked penalty
that inexorably follow such reckless
conduct.
Young girls who d a play sharp
tricks on clereymed allow a fee
bic old father / be crnel-
" maltreated, and at 41teen give way
10 their uncontrolled Wis, are net the
KIND OF girls that mako happy, helpful
wives and mother. B,t their fate onlv
concerns themselves, fnd they must
meet it.
The point which int fests the public.
b the low tone OF Aneican newspapers
hat leads their editors to applaud these
,hildi en-, end to app1 OF course which
svery thoughtful man bows is suicidal
o their happiness for fe. No girl of
sixteen is competent, Mentally or NOR
llly, to choose man IEo shall be her
|econd self for life. A girl of sixteen
$ fit in brain. body d education to
marry.
Ii she persists in d nerriage against
he wishes of her parenf, she is urged
o it, not by true Lowell as the news
'apers assert, but by Alse passion or
ancy. that will be as Ahort-ived. and
'alcful as the swamp 4es that lure
ravelers to destruct cton.-Iouth's
I0Mnd,aio7.