The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-12-02
WHAT DO you KNOW ABOUT
Is, HIM?

What do you know about the young
man who calls so regularly upon your
daughter, inquiries the Pittsburg Ga
Zette-Times. Where did she meet
him? How did she become acquainted
with him? Who is he? What is his
station in life? What is his business?
What are his habits? Why is he hang
ing around your girl? You, fathers
and mothers of daughters, can you
answer these questions? Can you an
swer any of them? Did you ever ask
yourself any of them? Have you
asked them of your daughter Do you
know the young man at all? If not,
why not? It's your duty to guide and
protect your daughter, is it not? How
comes then this man in your house?
Here are a number of simple ques-
tons that present no problem at ALL
Common sense would suggest them to
almost anyone. In many cases curl
osity, which sometimes is as good a
mentor as common sense, would pro-
pound them and demand answers.
But how many parents ask them? II
you do ask them are you satisfied with
the answers you receive? If you are
not what do you do about it? The
questions arise in the editorial mind
out of a one-day sensation of several
weeks ago. You remember it. A
young man, calling upon young
woman at her fathers house shot him
self to death. He had just learned that
his duplicity had been exposed and he
took the towards way out, leaving a
wife and two children in his own home
a few miles<away. The enormity OF
the mans offense was somewhat OBJ
scured at the time by the circum
stance that his exposure was made
through the medium of an anonymous
letter to the young wOman's father
1t was only after receipt of that lettel
that the father demanded knowledge
of the man who had been accepted a:
the sutton for his daughters hand
The tragedy followed and responsible
ity was placed by the unthinking OF
the author of the letter. OF course
denunciation anonymously made is thu
work of a sneak and ordinarily is I'm
worthy of consideration. Here seem
to have been a case in which the Gil
cumstances justified the means EN-
ployed. But that is a matter besid
the point of this discussion.
If the father of the young woman
whose romance was so traglcall
ended, had done his duty there woul
have been no such painful denouement
The young man would have trespasse
in that home only once. 1t was con
PLEASANT parents, trusting too much t
the good sense Of their child, and n
posing too much confidence in the III
rightnesS of American manhood, tina
placed their daughter in peril. Such
thing could not happen in properl
organized home. Parents of practice
understanding will not take much o
faith. Trust not too much to the il
experience of girls. Nor repose falt
in the nobility, innocence and franz
ness of young men whom you do nc
know. Parents do know of the snare
that beset the path and betray the col
fidence of youth. They know that a.
parently honorable intention often
the mask of base design. Known;
they should be on their guard, and Q
guard to spare their daughter miser
They wouldn't trust their money to
stranger. Is not ones daughter I
more value than money? Lose yol
money and you may get more. Daug
ter's name, once sullied, 70 matte
how innocently, never will be the san
again. There may be rebirth of cha
acter, but the neighbors don't tai
any stock in SUCH For one thin
they don't care beyond the enjoymel
they get out of a morsel of scand
and in keeping it alive. It is so eas