The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-12-28
w. c. +. U. Space.

This space belongs to the Womans
Christian Temperance Union and the
are responsible for what they print.
The eurfev law has proved blessing
to many communities. Its benefcient
provisions were primarily designed to
meet the moral needs and social condi-
tions Of growing boys. II places its
strong arm about him in kindly warning
and protection. and If at times the care
less boy is made 10 feel the firm pressure
of civic authority, all tire bettor for him
in the end. Where one community, by
its exceptional excellence, feels that it
does not want the eurfew law, hundreds
Of others stand in sore need Of its pros
visions. 1t ID right and Imperative that
laws be enacted making it as easy as
possible for a boy to do right aud as
hard as possible to do wrong.
And now It appears that a certain
class of girls, in many Of our towns
and villages, stand quite as much in need
of being more strictly looked after At
night as their brothers. The pen al
most refuses to record the fact, vet fact
it is, that an increasingly large number
of American girls find II very much To
their liking to roam the street at night,
chat and chase about with their male ac-
quaintances, and come fitting into the
house long after they should have been
asleep OF course, these girls. reputable,
we'll dressed school girls in many in.
stances. are not at the outset spurred
on BY the evil impulses, but they cannot
90 far down The street without meeting
one or more Of their sch6oimates or
other friends who, as idle as themselves
make the most Of any casual meeting,
and all are IN for fun. At time when
the freest ASSOCIATION Of tile sexes is
frankly encouraged, liberty easily de-
generates into license: one thing leads
to another. and if at first bevy Of
girls run like deer before the hound
when personally annoyed, this is only
signal for the pursuers to follow, and
so the hours slip BY. and in one brief
summer i sweet, modest, innocent girl
may Be transformed into an incoiYigihle
street prowIer, whose native heart purity
and delicacy Of fancy have been as COM
pletely swept away a. the bloom 81 a
thrice handled peach,
Here is a new and even startling phase
|of the purity question. To simpler
and far less selfindulpent generation it
would have appeared astounding that
growing girls from respectable homes
should be permitted to spend hours at
night roaming the streets with young
men, and such thing does seem incred-
ible until We look into the home life
Of this class Of girls, and there we newt
ably find wrong conditions. The fondlyi
foolish parents, instead Of intoxicating
obedience and contentmeht on the part
OF their children, shield them from every
twinge Of pain and discomfort, lavish
upon them all sorts of indulgences, and
encourage "a good conceit OF them-
selves" They have mortal dread Of
seeing their child counted out Of the
inner circle Of young folks, they I'M
agihe that the enjoyment Of unearned
pleasures il only prophecy Of what shall
happily prove lifestime Of enjoyment
for their darIings.
Itis right that children should be
happy, but this eager hunger for excite
ment and self-indJleenee Is az short
sighted As it is sinful Apart from the
loss of heart innocence a certain hard
ness Of demeanor and coarseness of
thought is sure to result from street
proving. Strange that parents do not
always notice these things Indeed, it
I is precisely this class Of parents who
lack clear and sharply defined moral con
vietions whose back bone is out OF
plumb, that have least use for eurfew
laws, and see no harm il cards, waItzes,
and night promenades. Aud vet one
might as wisely expose begonia to the
frosts Of December as permit young peos
pie at a period Of life wben passions ire
strongest and the win Is immature, to
do what 50 many do, and get no harm
TO themselves. The root Of this evil lies
back III the home and there che remedy
must be applied.