The Washington times., 1918-01-25
IF DAUGHTER
GOES AWAY
You Should Warn Her
of the Pitfalls
Ahead
By William A. McKeever,
one Of the Nations Foremost sociO-
one Of the Nations Foremost SOeiO-
logical Authorities
By William A. McKeever,


logical Authorities.
NN through train going from
Little Rock to Chicago sat a
dainty slip of q sixteen-year-
ola girl The innocent bloom on
her chsek and her. unpretentiouS
manners made her seem but a child.
She came from a farm IN Arkansas,
was the oldest but one in a family
of six. Mother could spare her and
she must learn to make her own
way. Brother had gone four years
ago to asbiE Eastern city and found
work at good wages She was on
the way thence to try to learn
stenogrspfiS. q
No. litt1s Miss Arkansas had
never been away from home before.
but she had q through ticket, was
spending the two nights in the day
coach, had 4 Well-hlled lunch box
from home. No. she had not heard
that wicked men sometimes lie in
wait for such girls. She trusted
everybody and was glad to tell the
story of her Innocent life in the
woods OF Arkansas to anyone who
approached IN a friendly mood
What an ideal beginning for
shocking tragedy! And. yet what
an adverse commentary upon one
of the cruelties OF our so-called
civilization Can II ever come to
pass such a sweet. innocent girl
will be as safe in tha company of
all strangers as she is among those
of her class in = country commu-
nifty:
But the distressful fact remains.
This girl and a million more like
her away from home in the big
city are In constant jeopardy Of
their souls. their lives We have a
few agencies for safeguarding these
1nnocents, but they are inadequate.
In nearly all the big city railway
atations OF the country 1 hnd ma
irons who are faithfully on duty
provided their services are sought.
But Ghe majority OF unsophisti-
Gated girl travellers are not look
ing for these matrons and have
never heaKd of them.
Now, as never before the Indus
try. OF the country is calling for
the girl Of tender years to leave
home and accept' employment, and
50 the danger cited above is cor
respondingIy increased Hence.
there Is need Of some simple, direct
method for more adequately safe
guarding the girl who leaves home.
First OF AL. tell your girl of the
wicked traps into which she might
fall Do-not generalize. but state
the real and awful plight of girls
~hr~ ~ IL
Now. go over the route of travel
although IT may be merely from
one part OF the big city to an
other. Drill her on the motto:
avoid all acquaintance with
strangers" Teach her to make her
inquiries only OF uniformed police
men, matrons. deaconeases, sisters
Of charity or 7. W. c. A officers.
Warn your girl against hurried
Gcousintance with any young man
introduced by some new-found Eirl
friend. Urge her to find out who
and what he is before accepting his
company. The cities are full of
young men who work in some shop
or factory regularly during the day
and who spend their Saturday
nights and Sundays trying to en-
GnGre girla-
finally, warn your girl about
rooming, or cumming with an
other young woman whose habit of
mind and conversation are not
sweet and clean. The safest way
for her to secure a room IS TO
apply at the Y W. c. A and lodge
there II possible; otherwise go 10
4 roominE place recommended by
that institution