The Detroit times., 1909-01-15
Writing Love Letters a
Girls Growing Folly

ever, have not the slightest hesitation
in calling strange man darling
dearest" precious heart" hun
dred times In one missive, and | was
once privileged TO peruse billet doux
In which the writer required three ell
tire lines across the paper to get In
all the terms OF endearment she felt II
necessary to use.
Love letters are bad enough. in all
conscience, when they are really the
hearts outpourings to Its mate, and
when the writer Is SO sloshing over
with emotion that she must find a
vent or burst; but, strange as II Is,
half the time the girl who perpetrates
these discriminating documents Is not
really In love at all. She Is merely
writing love letters because she thinks
that II Is poetical and romantic, and
she fancies herself In the poetical and
romantic roles.
Goes on a Sentimental jag.
As a matter of fact, woman's pas
sion for writing love letters can only
be compared to a drunkard's thirst for
drink. She always has craving for
It, and the instant she dips her pen In
Ink she Is off on a sentimental jag.
She can't stop She knows she is
writing too much. She loses her head,
and she no more realizes the import
OF what she writes than the drunkard
knows what he Is saying when he
weeps maudlin tears against q lamp
post.
The danger of writing love letters
is so obvious that II seems unneces'
sary TO even speak of II. Many men
are dishonorable enough TO exhibit
their sentimental illusions from girls
as "a proof OF what havoc they make
among the fair sex.
Many other men-indeed, all men
are careless about letters, and in
deed why should they be more careful
of girls dignity than she Is herself?
At any rate, even the man who Is
too much of a gentleman to show a
girls letters leaves them around in
old coat pockets. In bureau drawers,
in desks and in other places where
any prying eye may read that chooses.
Ii any girl believes that the man
who receives her hearts illusions
burns them UP or IL cks them up in
his safety deposit box. she had just as
well disabuse her mind of that illu-
even II the man doesn't display her
letters to his friends. the chambermaid
at his boarding house and the office
boy at his place of business have per-
used with gusto her tender secrets.
Then There's the BIackmaIler.
Nor is there any telling into whose
hands such letters will fall. Once
upon time was personally acquaint-
ed with dear, sweet, good little girl,
who had a considerable facility with
the pen and could write love letters
that made the famous warm ones OF
the "Englishwoman" look like a cake
of ice.
or course the temptation to indulge
herself in an emotional debauch was
too much for this little sister. and so
every time she got on corresponding
terms with a man she would be betray-
ed into writing him deep. tender. soul
full things that she didn't mean, and
the man knew she didn't mean, but
which would have mortified her to
death had they been made public.
IL CHANGED that among my little
friends correspondents was a certain
man to whom she wrote these heart
throb letters, and in the mans life,
unknown to the little convent-reared
girl, was a very evil woman. who came
upon the love letters one day-and 1t
took several thousand dollars and a
lawyer to get those letters back TO the
writer, and keep her out OF a hideous
scandal.
Unhappily. daughter, the blackmail-
er Is still In our midst, and the things
you write In your silly, gushing inno-
cence look almighty different when
they are made public.
Mothers Need Blue Pencils.
Why any mother should let her
daughter correspond with men, and
be guilty OF the folly OF writing love
letters. passes my comprehension. No
girl should be permitted to write reg
ularly to any man to whom she Is not
engaged and the wedding day set
and close at hand.
The temptation TO write sentiment
is more than the average debutante
can resist and II Is her mothers duty
to stand over her with a big blue pen
ell and edit her correspondence, and
thereby save her from making a fool
OF herself
Don't write love letters, daughter.