The age-herald., 1897-08-11
TECHNICS FROM
 CURRENT TOPICS

Amelia BayleSS, Of Louisville, saturday
 by J. F. Liebke, of St. Louis few days
 ago, was one of the greatest outrages
 chronicled even in this time of startling
 occurrences. It is useIsss to go into the
 repulslve details. but it is worth while to
 point out few lessons that come from
 1t. The young man in the case is the
 son of a imam of wealth, and must have enjoyed the advantages of education and travel whether entitled or mot to thar
 form of refinement and good breeding,
 which is a maIrteu of inheritance. He
 went to Louisville, and apparently found
 no difficulty in securing letters of intro
 duction to young girls of position and
 character. The telegrams have told how
 he abused the privileges which were ac-
 corded him by the recipients of the let ters of initroduation. This emphasizes the
 need of exercising greater care in the
 giving of introductory letters to people who are merely acquaintances. In the
 south the presentation of a letter from
 friend to a friend entities the man ipre-
 senting it ito the hospitality of the re-
 ceivers home, and every courtesy Nhat can be shown the stranger. When let- ter of introduction is thoughtlessly given there may follow grievous consequences, though rarely anything so fearful as the
 attack upon Miss Bayless by MT Lielaa1e could be anticipated. But the fauls is not
 always that of the giver of Introductory t11fI fc upon the woman who receives 1t. There
 is small reason ho excuse dhst a young girl should accept from an entire strang- CT all tho courtesies that she has been l accustomed to receive from warm friends. A woman should allow a stranger time | to prove his worthiness of her eonsidera-
 tior. before she becomes an intimate com
 panlon and friend. Miss Bayless' sad ex- perience will prove beneficial to young women who, i'm their anxiety ito be what
 are termed "belles." are willing to accept attention from men of whom they know almost nothing.
 But who can estimata the Vaccinations of men in general, and especially of the ordinary insignificant type. To the
 average woman such men seem to pos sess a charm that is boundess; an in fatuation that cannot be explained ac- cording to any of the laws of psychology, sociology or philology or any other fash ionable science. It simply exists and we
 accept the fact without daring to con tradct or deny it's power. But, perhaps the most remarlSa ble instance of the fas- cination of a commonplace man for many good women has just come to light in
 the police courts of Chicago, where David
 Ellsworth Bates, a little Chicago book
 keeper was arraigned by seven indig- nant females for having ruthlessly trified with their affections. These seven wo- men, like those of Biblical fame, lay claim to the heart of the Chicago book keeper; they all were able to produce duly signed marriage certificates, and each one had her especial tale of love and disappointment to pour into the ear of the patient police judge. Three of the seven wives resided in Chicago. The muchly married man will not be permit ter further to enter green fields and pas lures new;'' his career in the future will
 be limited by the verdict of the court. Mrs. F. A. Steel, the English writer
 ary arena, rival of Rudyard Kipling,
 as teller of Indian stories, is a wo- man about whom many conflicting ac- counts have been given. She is a bril- liant writer, and her first great success, "On the Face of the Waters" is one of the strongest and most delightful books of the day.
 Her first literary work was rejected by several publishers, but the time has l com- when she is sought by the printers, and her books and stories command fine price. Mrs. Steel, according to the most authentic accounts, is of Scottish
 percentage. and was born April 2. 1S47, at Harrow on.the-H Hill.
 She was one of a large, merry-hearted family, and contributed her quota to the general happiness of the household. They were all lovers of private tfeatrica1s and Mrs. Steele's mother frequently wrote the plays which were presented by the family with Mrs. Steele as stage man. ager and director. When twenty years of age she married man who had been | her playmate and companion since their | childhood. He lived at the time of their | marriage in India, and thither they went 1 immediately after the wedding cere-
 mony. Mrs. Steel had left school early | but pursued certain studies until she went to India; there she became interesr- l ed in learning the language and philan- | thropic work among the natives. She | wrote primers for government schools | and published books of folklore, illus | trating some of them herself, She also