Herself, Edith Belle Lowry [world best books to read TXT] 📗

Some time ago, the general public was shocked by a newspaper story of the life led by many girl clerks in the department stores of a large city. It seems a young girl from the country applied for a position in one of the stores, but upon hearing of the small wages paid, said, "How can I live on that? It would not provide even the most meager of board and the smallest room." The employer asked in reply, "But have you not a gentleman friend?" That reply, repeated to a social worker, started an investigation which resulted in startling revelations. It was found that many of the stores paid such small salaries that to live on them at all was an impossibility for even the most economical. It was an understood fact that each girl was expected to receive help from some "gentleman friend."

There must be something wrong in our whole system of living when girls are compelled to work for salaries insufficient for even the necessities and are taught to have tastes and desires for the beautiful which it is impossible to gratify on their meager salaries. A young girl goes to work in an office or store with a definite, if not expressed, understanding of what should be the proper relations of the sexes. After she has been at work a short time she notices that her companions are much better dressed than it is possible for her to be with the resources at her command. She notices that her friends have numerous invitations to theatres and dinners. She wonders if she is less attractive than they. After awhile she receives hints, more or less broad, from her male associates. Gradually it dawns upon her why the other girls are more attractive than she.

One who has not been thrown in close contact with the girls of this age cannot realize the extent of the immorality among them. Formerly it was considered that only boys sowed their wild oats. Now we find that many girls do so also. We hear very little about it except for the occasional case of one who has to suffer for her sins. Usually this one is one of the most innocent. Many of the girls of this generation are "wise." They think they know how to "keep out of trouble," and yet reap the rewards in the shape of a few dollars.

Girls cannot afford to take the great risks incident to leading an immoral life, aside from all moral reasons for not doing so. In the first place there is the danger of becoming pregnant. Think what that means! The majority of girls are led to take the first step by promises of marriage. Real life has proved these promises seldom are kept. The man "changes" his mind after the mis-step has been taken. He goes away and forgets, the girl is left to bear the consequences of their mutual sin. The men of the world like to take these girls out and enjoy themselves but when it comes to marriage—the man wants a different kind of a wife. There are three courses from which such an unfortunate girl may choose. One course is an abortion with all its attendant dangers, its risks to her life and the thoughts of having taken a life. Another is to brave the world, bear her child and keep it. It takes a great deal of courage to do this with our present social system. Often it is impossible, as the girl is unable to care for the child and at the same time support it and herself. She seldom finds very much encouragement in this course. Those who should be her friends and aid her to make the most of her life are now the ones who keep her down. They refuse to make it possible for her to earn an honest living and lead a moral life. The third course is to place herself under the care of a responsible physician, live in seclusion for the last few months of her pregnancy, then, after the birth of her baby, have it adopted. Considering everything, this often is the best course. From the child's standpoint, it is given a better start in life. It is much better to live as the adopted, but honored, child in a home than it is to have to bear the stigma of illegitimacy. As soon as the child enters school the latter will become known among its playmates and will be the subject of many cruel taunts. It is not fair to the innocent child to give it such a heritage. But think how the mothers must feel to have to give up their babies! That is the saddest part of the case. It is not fair that the girl should be punished the remainder of her life for one mis-step when the man goes absolutely free and without the sign of a stigma attached to him.

These cases of unfortunate girls are all too common. The rescue homes in the large cities are full, and often a large percentage of their occupants are from the country. Within the last week, I have received letters from four girls, similar to the one I shall read you. This letter is from a girl in Indiana who gives a rural delivery address. "In one of your articles in —— you speak of homes where unfortunate girls are sheltered and taken care of and I should like to know if there is such a home in Indianapolis. If there is, will you kindly give me the street and number. I am in trouble and have nowhere to go, but knowing you to be a friend to unfortunate girls who met their misfortune through ignorance and with no desire to do wrong, I write you for advice." This, as well as numerous other letters, show that these things are just as prevalent in the country districts as in the cities.

So many girls do not realize how easy it is to "get into trouble." A short time ago I had a confinement case that was a little unusual; for the young woman, who was unmarried, had an unruptured hymen, which contained only one small opening barely large enough to insert a sound the size of a slate pencil. At the first consultation several months previous, when she had come to me on account of absence of menstruation for three months, the girl had insisted that there was no possibility of her being pregnant. Later she admitted that four months previously, just after she menstruated, she was out with a young man who was very insistent, that she did not consent, but in spite of her resistance there was a discharge thrown against the labia (external organs). At the time of this first examination she was about four months pregnant and had not supposed such a condition of affairs possible. Fortunately in this case there was an early marriage.

Another grave danger to the girl who indulges in immoral practices is the possibility of contracting one of the black plagues. You know what that would mean. If you recall the prevalence of these diseases you will see that the probabilities are that any girl indulging in immoral relations will sooner or later contract one of these diseases. Indeed she runs a big risk of contracting one at her first mis-step.

After one has taken the first mis-step it is very easy to take the next. One step often leads to another until the girl succumbs to a life of prostitution. A result of prostitution that is important is the unfitting for regular life. Whatever the effect of such a life may be upon a man, a girl cannot lead such a life with impunity. Many a girl tires of her immoral life and gladly would turn to something else but the difficulties in her way are numerous. One is her inability to obtain a position when it is known that she has led an immoral life. Another is that she finds the duties and regular hours incident to any position very irksome. The irregular life she has led has unfitted her for a regular life. There seems to have been a general disturbance of the whole nervous system, her will has become so weakened that it is very hard for her to have the will power necessary to keep from returning to the old life. This breaking of the will power also makes it difficult for her to keep her mind on her work. Then, too, she resents any supervision of her work. Of course, the longer the irregular life has continued the harder it is to break away from it.

Now, from another standpoint! No matter how dissipated a man may be he wants his bride to be pure. Nearly all girls expect to marry sometime, and so for the sake of the future—in order to keep the confidence of her husband as well as for the sake of not taking any risks that might prevent future motherhood, girls should not lead immoral lives.