Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-06-18
WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 10, 1902.
THERE Is barely week in the hfly'

THERE IS barely Q week in the MY
two OF the year during which there 10
mt somewhere 10 the land mysteri'
Gus murder, suicide or drowning 10
which Young women and men figure,
and the frequency of such occurrences
has nst rally caused elarm among
thoughtful parents whose sons have
recently entered the portals OF lie or
whose daughters are developing into
womanhoo1. Hardly had people
ceased to comment upon the Singular
tragic affair 10 New York In which a
Young woman was made prominent
fivore. when another follows close IN
,ts wake. and this time the bodies OF
young man and young woman are
washed ashore In Long Island Sound
uuder circumstances mysterious ana
questionable. The moral OF sucn es'
capades seems almost too obvious 10
draw. Yet nobody who coutemplates
the growing carelessness In manners
and morals OF young men and young
women 10 decent socitt7 can fall 10
rsalize that the Lesson 10 greatly
needed. The case Of the young wo'
man 10 Nav YORK aud the relations
between her and the young man found
with a pistol ball in his head In
Coultlapd street hotel ere 1T ii
fresh 10 the minds OF the read
ing public, and the Long Island
tragedy Is another indictment OF
the lack Of training 10 tie
elements of good sense and good
breeding by psreLt', from whom such
training might reasonably be expected.
The victim In this instance was young
woman OF respectable parentage and
good social position. She was ap'
parently 9 fun loving, wiltul, but not
Vicious, girl. Yet she accepted for her
close companions at o summer resort
two young married men, one OF whom
was separated but not divorced from
his wife. Her mother dlsliked such
compsnionship, and the evening before
the tragedy told the man living apart
from bis wife that she did net approve
OF his relations with her daughter,
only to have the daughter saucily re-
mark 10 the mothers presence that be
could go with her as much az he
pleased. Then she wei riding with
this mao, and was about with the Two
ct hotels, In carriages or boots, I'LL the
middle OF the night. while her mother
was abed. One night something mys-
tsrious happened. The girl and one
man were accidentally drowned or
were murdered, and the other man has
disappeared. There is In the news
paper accounts no biIt of suspicions
against this girls good character,
but her indiscretion. her reckless
readiness to compromise herself,
and the apparent inability OF her pa
rents 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 80 beyond their control, 80
ignorant or 80 Indifferent to the require
ments OF womauly behavior, have no
cause for wonder il the result ls death
or moral ruin. There is evidently
need OF revival OF the Questionable
art of bringing up children. Boys and
girls are growing up to be lswless.
Lacking respect for authority and con
veptioDs, they easily lose respect for
the virtues which authority and con.
ventons seek to guard. Lsxity 10
homes and schools. contact under IN.
favorable conditions Of young men and
women in business life, the rush, sell
fishness and bad manners Of crowded
streets, shops and public conveyances.
ell tend ID the destruction OF that
good breeding which commands re-
sp ct aud Durtures modesty. So far
nothing tragic has been the outcome of
such indisoretIon heresbouts, although
scandal and sensational denousments
have occasionally resulted. The sad
cases which hsvo happened 10 other
localities, however. should be sufficient
warnings to young women among US to
depot themselves in such a manner
that they may be as I@Iar's wife
above suspicion.