Year: 1876

casual reader, bear so directly upon deep


rooted evil of our domestic life that it is


worth our while to examine into their eau


ses and results. One is an account of the


suicide of young married woman, "the


cause an unfortunate attachment;' y the


other the shooting of a gay young fellow by


a girl to whom he had paid attention for


some years, but whom he had lately deser-


ted to marry a fairer and wealthier rival. |
The young lady was of course acquitted on


the ground of insanity, and the man is in a |
fair way of recovery from his flesh wound |
The local papers make haste to exculpate


him from all blame, Gas no engagement |
existed between the parties" In neither


of these cases was the attachment of


criminal nature; the women suffered in


nothing but the matter feeling, which is so


intangible and weightless thing in public


esteem that only insanity can excuse the


desperate deeds to which it drove them.


Here is precisely the point to which we


wish to call attention. What is the worth


of woman's honorable affection? or has it


any at all? The courts award handsome


sum i'll dollars and cents as the price of


wounded feeling in a case of breach of


promise; and that to the very woman who


by their coming before the public to set a


price upon their hearts prove that they


have neither feeling, sensitiveness, nor


delicacy to injure. In American private


life, on the contrary, the pure affections of


young girl are the only possessions which


by common consent are left totally unguard-


ed, and which custom and every social
law forbid shall be protected by any means


whatever. A daughter is born, let us say,
) to parents of culture, and the highest social
position she is the center of their hopes
and plans; all their wealth and influence


are brought to bear on the perfecting of her
body and mind; no safeguard can be too
vigilantly set to protect their treasure from
any contamination of disease, impurity of
thought or vulgar manner. So far the
course is rational and conmmendable But


from the day when she technically enters
a society, while she is guarded in other res


poets as carefully as before, any man is at
liberty to gain her affection who chooses.


Here is the result of that peculiar freedom


of our American social system of which we
: are so apt to boast. The French demoiselle
0 receives no attention from possible lovers
! unless in the presence of her mother or


temporary guardians the man who would
e begin a Irritation with an English girl OF
respectable family knows that he is passing
> the inspection of father, brothers, and most
i certainly the mother, who has been her
! nearest friend since birth. If his behavior


indicate that he is trifing he may look foi
,. sharp snubbing from the family and
prompt exclusion, and such punishment
c would be regarded simply proper protec
d ton and matter of course.


i The American girl, on the contrary, il
q left wholly to her own guardianship. Sh,


has half a dozen intimates among the youn
. fellows of her sets she corresponds will
i0 them, accompanies them to concerts ant
. the opera unchaperoued, and sometime
J. VI winds up the evening by a supper at a res
IN taurant which ends in the small hour,
y, They are not ostensibly lovers-they ar
Il friends, JOns camaradeS. She finds the half


friendly, halfpassionate intercourse NOR,
81 intoxicating than direct lovemaking. Sh
y opens the depths of her innocent heart t
iis the vulgar prying eyes; the favored int
10 mate becomes an habitue of the house. In
y few months, herhaps weeks, he know
al more Of the secret feelings, desires, aims
the girl, than her sister or brother, or tn
Gu mother who bore her. lie treats her pc
,er sonally with liberty whichis graded +
NC her individual character. But it is inev
'i tably liberty. The girl as inevitably enc
'"' by loving him; the more unworldly, I'll


more pure she is, the more likely is she
mistake his course as honorable. In I'll
mean while, the man has not The slighte
-, n9 idea ofmarrying her; a very small minori
y =" of young men are in a marrying mood
'e these hard times he has just as little idt
~ of dishonoring or even injuring her in pu
'ei lie esteem, but he accepts the intimacy
!" friendship of young girl as one of IL
nu good things which society offers him
esi would be a dull fool if when lovely That's


left to sit beside him he did not take Il
'ne goods the gods provide him. Meanwhi
'eu American society rules that the father az
III mother of the girl remain perfectly passiv


The man may be the most desirable or u
ver suitable husband for their daughter, b
ase. they have no right to interfere until
ave formally proposes. If they should " ask
.ed intentions" according to the rational custo
,ed OF our forefathers, the girl herself would
and the first to rebel on the ground that S
,fuI was made ridiculous, and that her frienC
low was mistaken for her lover. When t
ave friend betakes himself to fresh fields, t
one woman controls her disappointment as S
no can, and marries somebody for an establis


ment or a home; or, as in the present ca


finds her pain too sharp to bear, and the
"e is murder or a suicide, and the usr
eiH chatter of insanity.


- Now the mistake of which we compls
go is no sentimental grievance. The pub
. are not likely to comprehend or weirh [