A life full of subtle and fierce temptation is the life of a stenographer and oh, how many here are led astray by those who should protect them. One will say, "What is a girl to do? From all you have said, she would not dare to go anywhere."
One of the most fascinating allurements of city life to many a young girl is the dance-hall, which is truly the ante-room to hell itself. Here indeed, is the beginning of the white slave traffic in many instances. A girl may in her country home have danced a little, but here, 'mid the blazing lights, gaiety and so-called happiness, she enters. She is told she is awkward and will become more graceful, no harm in it. You know the rest.
Had I a daughter or a sister, one of the places I would warn her against when going to the city would be some of our large department stores, not all, thank God, but alas, too many of them.
Many girls have a great desire and ambition to work in a store in the city. Unless it were a positive, absolute necessity, I would never allow her to do it, unless I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she possessed great strength of character. I hesitated in writing this but I felt I must or God would, indeed, hold me responsible, for parents have no idea of the girls who are ruined behind counters.
When told the small salaries they will receive and a girl says, "Oh, I cannot live on that," the answer is, "We will see to that, we will provide another way for your support," and there is begun the downward career.
Fathers, mothers, did you ever stop and ask yourselves, how can these girls dress themselves the way they are required to nowadays in these stores and do it honorably on the salary that many of them receive? It will bear investigation.
A serious cause for the downfall of many girls is the small wages which so-called Christians are paying, which is barely enough for mere existence.
One father, not long ago, after some striking warnings, wrote saying he had been aroused to inquire after his little girl, her letters had been more and more infrequent, he was a trifle anxious, and wished her address looked up.
At a glance it was known at once where the girl was, the location being the center of Chicago's Red Light district.
When rescued, it was a girl with a blighted, pitifully wasted life, a sad return, indeed, to the old home. Once a pretty, pure, innocent girl. I find a majority of girls gone astray are from the country towns, villages and hamlets. There is need for the small communities to awake.