The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1902-07-02
The Lesson OF a Tragedy.

The moral Of the escapade Which re-
suited in the death Of a young woman
at Good Ground few days ago seems
! almost too obvious to draw. Yet no.
body who contcmplates the growing
carelessness in manners and morals of
young men and young women in decent
society can fail to realize that the les
son is greatly needed. A recent mur-
der brought 10 light most appalling
account of the social condition among
the sons and daughters Of we'll to do
and respectable families in the Bed
ford region of Brooklyn, and must
have awakened thousands of fathers
and mothers too late to sense of
duty. This latest tragedy is another
indictment Of the lack Of training in
the elements Of good sense and good
breeding BY parents, from whom such
training might reasonably be expected.
The victim in this instance was a
young woman Of respectable parentage
and good social position. She was ap-
parently fun loving, wilful, but not
vicious girl. Yet she accc cpted for her
close companions at summer resort
two young married men, one Of whom
was separated but not divorced from
his wife. Her mother dislikcd such
companionship, and the evening before
the tragedy told the man living apart
from his wife that she did not approve
Of his relations with her daughter,
only to have the daughter saucily re-
mark in the mothers presence that he
could 20 with her as much as he
pleased. Then she went riding with
this man, and was about with the two,
at hotels, in carriages or boats, till the
middle of the night, while her mother
was abed. During that night some
thing mysterious happened. The girl
and one man were accidentally drown
ed or were murdered, and the other
man has disappeared. There is in the
newspaper accounts no hint of suspi-
cions against this girl 8 good charac-
ter, but her indiscretion, her reckless
readiness t. compromise herself, and
the apparent inability Of her parents
to exercise wholesome influence upon
her are as sadly conspicuous as we
fear they are typical.
Fathers and mothers who permit
their girls to grow up so beyond their
control, SO ignorant or so Indifferent
to the requirements Of womanly be-
havior, have no cause for wonder if
the result is death or moral ruin. The
traditional freedom and naturalness of
American social relations have charm
and Il value when under proper train
ing they are made to promote in both
boys and girls mutual respect and un-
affected modesty. Doubtless, too,
that unchaperoned companionship of
young people which 80 shocks foreign
ers results for the most part in virtu-
Gus affections and happy marriages.
But this is something far different
from the license and disregard of de-
corum which is becoming alarmingly
prevalent, not among the lower orders
in the social scale, but in families
which are considered intelligent and
we'll bred.
The manners Of young men have de-
generated. They will act and speak
in the presence OF women in way
that would not have been tolerated q
generation ago, and young women who
are unquestiona bly, without evil intent
will conduct themselves as no woman
could have done few years ago with
out serious damage to her reputation.
There is evidently need of revival of
the questionable art of bringing up
children. Boys and girls are growing
up to be lawless. Lacking respect for
authority and conventions, they easily
lose respect for the virtues which au-
thority and conventions seek to guard.
Laxity in homes and schools, contact
under unfavorable conditions of young
men and women in business life, the
rude, selfishness aud bad manners of
our crowded streets, shops and public
all tend to the destruc-
ton Of that good breeding which com
mands respect and nurtures modesty. |
New York Tribune
Family Pride in Philadelphia.