Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-05-17

DO not believe week passes away
without my hearing OF some foolish. pref
" gal coming 10 Atlanta to be the vic
TIM OF some spider sitting in wait foE
rer. Like the foolish fy she thinks she
is smart enough TO escape with her wings
unframed.
Only yesterday a lady told me the fate
OF a girl in whom we have been inter
estsd for six months She very frankly
told US that she ran away from home
because .she wanted no boss" and that
III the home put her in compelled her
to give an account Of herself. there were
F.. '.joHier' places where no questions were
asked.
Today she is in a little room on no
torious street and a Mt subject for the
lunatic asylum: by the end OF the year
she will be there
After working among people as long as
have l can almost always give you a
forecast OF the life of the average gin
after she has been in my company a
little while. It's not any special gift: 1t
only means that human nature is as
ciearly. classified as minerals. vegetables
and grasses.
was sent a clipping from the Emporia
Gazette that so completely covers the
cas- in question that / want every one
OF you to cut IL out and let IL serve as
a warning to the girls that may come
under your influence:
You are a pretty girl. my dear; we
will admit that. an unusually pretty girl
You are striking: you have figure and
when YOU pass the hotel the men turn
TO look at you. and you have the front
room lighted up four nights in the week.
There IS no doubt OF your popularity
more at all. my dear, so you don't have
to urge that as an excuse for the way
you are going And you know how you
are going-so does everyone else in town
And it's too bad: you insist on accent
inr the fact that your are she-crea-
tuTe Your dress. your gait. your gen
erel air and attitude Is that Of fe-
male rather than that OF a person, and
when a man is around. IL you could Sc
the way you act, you would blush: II
Isn't any one man in particular-just
any old pair OF trousers. Good Lord.
girl stop flirting and get some sense.
Take OF that dress that outlines your
figure until you look naked. and put
on clothes like other women. Don't
say that these clothes make you look
stylish: what they do is to make you
70 the fact that you wear peticoats and
spend a little time considering yourself
as a human being
OF course. we know you are smart.
my dear: you know a lot-a lot of things
you have no business knowing, and that
shows also. II you knew what is written
on your face you would be ashamed TO
60 outdoors; but il is all there-every
one OF those vain things that fill your
silly head. And where your treasure is
there your heart is. AS one thinketh SCI
he Is. and you are so plainly in evidence
that il is pitiful how you advertise your
self
OF course it's fun: you are having 4
good time: it's all innocent fun. and YOU
know how 10 take care of yourself. They
an do-those smart girls; and the good
tire gers closer and closer to the edge;
but stolen waters are sweet and bread
eaten in secret-you don't care tn
have scripture quoted at you. Still. it is
true and IL is the wisdom Of the ages.
And YOU are someone's pride and joy:
your father doesn't see what the other
men see: your mother may see and fear.
see too: but you think she is slow. You
think she doesn't ever have a good time.
You think she is too strict
But no girl who vas ever cut Up in
. Doctors ONCE and thrown into an old
suitcase or a trunk and tossed into the
creek ever thought she would end that
Wy. She always knew so much more
tran her mother. and always thought
her mother was too strict
OF course Il hasn't come TO that yet.
Bet it's along in that directiOn-just
rccxn at the turn Of the road TO the
left There is the bend in the river;
there Is where they VIII throw the
suitcase. and yonder under that straw
pfls BY the barn-there they viii bury
the head. perhaps your pretty head with
oil that light I'm the eyes; with all that
red in your lips with all that glow on
ticse cheeks-yOur pretty head would
rot come out from under that straw pile
looking as II looks today
i IT Is not pleasant-still you are not
peasant 10 look at. my dear. for all these
fhtrRs are written upon you; and YOU
are pretty girl. an exceptionally pretty
girl. my dear; but only
Just won't You understand-just don't
Mothers. when you see IL cropping out
IN your little girls show them the hideous-
ness OF f. Don't wait until they get old
er thinking IL sweet then. but planning
10 correct IL later. Don't let them wander
you know not where and tell you all sorts
Of things when they return They MAY
tell sou the truth and they may not
Don'ts give them the chance TO fall into
evfI ways. A pebble will turn a stream
81 ifs beginning that may require solid
masonry later on
Faithfully yours.
n