The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1894-12-14
GOOD PLACES DIFFICULT 10 FlNo.
A Young Country Girl Tells Pathetic
story In Police Court.


A Young Country Girl Tells Pathetic
story In q Police Court.
Before a police justice on the North
Side slim, pale girl was brought. She
wore no hat, her hair was tangled, and
clinging to ii were fragments Of dead
leaves. Her gown, doubtless onco q
flimsy piece of finery carried through
the country by peddler, was faded and
torn, and her toes showed through holes
in her shoes. She had not the appear
anee of hardened sinner. Her mouth
did not bespeak long career Of vice,
and her eyes, though red, had not the
dull blur Of continued dissipation. The
Justice looked sharply at her.
"Yeu have not been here before, he
said, half as a declaration and half as q
question.
''No, sir /" Shame and grief were in
her voice,
"What is the charge against her?'
the Justice asked.
hShe was found drunk and asleep in
Lincoln park, " an officer answered.
The justice looked at her. She looked
down. "How old are your he asked.
TWENTY-FIVE, she answered,
"Where is your homer"
''My home was near Mulwonago, in
Wisconsin / haven't been here very
long. came here expecting to find Of
fee work, but failed, / didn'E know
where to 90. / wandered about and
finally got work in a cheap restaurant
and / worked there a few days for moth
ing and tho thing failed Idon't hardly
know how lived after that, but know
that last night ! was wandering about
the streets The air was cool, and ! was
hungry There was no place open for
me, and went into saloon. | knew IL
was wrong to go into the place, but
where was | to go2 ] know that there
nre places for girls TO go, where food
and beds are provided for them, but
hey are always far off, while the saloon
h always at hand. You have to hunt to
lind the good places, but the bad onea
tand always in front of you. don \
Snow why this should BIO so, but it ls.
Al number Of men were Ia the saloosE
irinking, and one Of them, sitting at q.
able, told me to sit down and have q
JFipg, / told him that / wanted moth
nd to drink, but that i should like TO
have something to cat, iia ordered
soinething, and ate it, and then he IN
sisted until | drank glass Of beer. !
don't know how many glasses / drank,
but know that it must have been a
good many, for ] reeollect trying 70
dance / sang old fashioned country
songs, and they made me drink mere.
] don't know when / left them. The
next thing knew was shaken by Q
policeman 10 the park. I"
It was a long time before the justice
said anything He sat looking at the
girl, at her torn gown, at the leaves in
hen hair.
lyon don't want to be bad woman,
do you?" he asked.
She looked up at him with a swift,
surprised glance, and tears were in heI
eyes. "No, sir" she said. What
have seen of bad life makes me hate II,
/ know that I'm not very smart, but
can work If have the chance,
sand you shall have the chance, F"
the Justice answered. HSit down oFel
there"
Are you going to send me to jailf'
aNo, I'm going to send you out to
my house, and | hope that hereafter
you'll not find the good places 50 fai
away and the bad ones so close at hand, =
Chicago Inter Ocean,