never satiated. It grows with gratification. A confirmed novel-reader
is almost as difficult to reform as a confirmed inebriate or opium-eater.
The influence upon the mind is most damaging and pernicious. It not
only destroys the love for solid, useful reading, but excites the
emotions, and in many cases keeps the passions in a perfect fever of
excitement. The confessions of young women who were to all appearance
the most circumspect in every particular, and whom no one mistrusted
to be capable of vile thoughts, have convinced us that this evil is
more prevalent than many, even of those who are quite well informed,
would be willing to admit.
By reading of this kind, many are led to resort to self-abuse for the
gratification of passions which over-stimulation has made almost
uncontrollable. Some have thus been induced to sin who had never been
injured by other influences, but discovered the fatal secret themselves.
Mothers cannot be too careful of the character of the books which their
daughters read. Every book, magazine, and paper should be carefully
scrutinized, unless its character is already well known, before it is
allowed to be read. In our opinion, some of the literature which passes
as standard, which is often found on parlor center-tables and in family
and school libraries, such as Chaucer's poems, and other writings of
a kindred character, is unfit for perusal by inexperienced and
unsophisticated young ladies. Some of this literature is actually too
vile for any one to read, and if written to-day by any poet of note
would cause his works to be committed to the stove and the rag-bag in
spite of his reputation.
Various Causes.--Bad diet, the use of stimulating and exciting articles
of food, late suppers, confectionery and dainties,--all these have a
very powerful influence in the wrong direction by exciting functions
which ought to be kept as nearly latent as possible. The use of tea
and coffee by young ladies cannot be too strongly condemned. Improper
dress, by causing local congestion, often predisposes to secret vice
by occasioning local excitement. Probably a greater cause than any of
those last mentioned is too great familiarity with the opposite sex.
The silly letters which girls sometimes allow themselves to receive
from the boys and young men of their acquaintance, and which they
encourage by letters of a similar character, must be condemned in the
most thorough manner. Upon receiving such a letter a pure-minded girl
will consider herself insulted; and has just reason for so doing. The
childish flirtations which girls and boys sometimes indulge in often
lead to evils of a most revolting character.
Modesty Woman's Safeguard.--True modesty and maidenly reserve are the
best guardians of virtue. The girl who is truly modest, who encourages
and allows no improper advances, need have no fear of annoyance from
this source. She is equally safe from temptation to sin which may come
to her in secret, when no human eye can behold. Maidenly modesty is
one of the best qualities which any young lady can possess. A young
woman who lacks modesty, who manifests boldness of manner and
carelessness in deportment, is not only liable to have her virtue
assailed by designing and unscrupulous men, but is herself likely to
fall before the temptation to indulge in secret sin, which is certain
to present itself in some way sooner or later.
This invaluable protection is speedily lost by the girl who abandons
herself to secret vice. The chances are very great, also, that by
degrees her respect for and love of virtue and chastity will diminish
until she is open to temptations to indulge in less secret sin; and
thus she travels down the road of vice until she finds herself at last
an inmate of a brothel or an outcast wanderer, rejected by friends,
and lost to virtue, purity, and all that a true woman holds most dear.
A Few Sad Cases.--Although we do not believe it right to harrow the
feelings of those who have sinned and suffered with a rehearsal of sad
cases when no good can be accomplished by such accounts, we deem it
but just that those who are not yet entangled in the meshes of vice
should have an opportunity of knowing the actual results of sin, and
profiting by the sad experience of others. It is for this purpose that
we shall mention a few cases which have come under our observation,
taking care to avoid mentioning any facts which might lead to
identification, as the facts we shall use were, many of them, received
in strict confidence from those who were glad to unburden their hearts
to some one, but had never dared to do so, even to their friends.
A Pitiful Case.--Several years ago we received a letter from a young
woman in an Eastern State in which she described her case as that of
an individual who had early become addicted to secret vice and had
continued the vile habit until that time, when she was about thirty-two
years of age. In spite of the most solemn vows to reform, she still
continued the habit, and had become reduced to such a miserable
condition that she would almost rather die than live. She sent with
her letter photographs representing herself at twenty and at that time,
so that we might see the contrast. It was indeed appalling to see what
changes sin had wrought. Her face, once fair and comely, had become
actually haggard with vice. Purity, innocence, grace, and modesty were
no longer visible there. The hard lines of sin had obliterated every
trace of beauty, and produced a most repulsive countenance. Though
greatly depraved and shattered by sin and consequent disease in body
and mind, she still had some desire to be cured, if possible, and made
a most pitiful appeal for help to escape from her loathsome condition.
We gave her the best counsel we could under the circumstances, and did
all in our power to rescue her from her living death; but whether in
any degree successful we cannot tell, as we have never heard from the
poor creature since.
We have often wished since that we might but show those two pictures
to every girl who has been tempted to sin in this way, to all who have
ever yielded to this awful vice. The terrible contrast would certainly
produce an impression which no words can do. We sent them back to their
wretched original, however, by her request, and so cannot show the
actual pictures; but when any who read these lines are tempted thus
to sin we beg them to think of these two pictures, and by forming a
vivid image of them in the mind drive away the disposition to do wrong.
A Mind Dethroned.--A young lady who had received every advantage which
could be given her by indulgent parents, and who naturally possessed
most excellent talents, being a fine musician, and naturally so bright
and witty as to be the life of every company in which she moved, suddenly
began to show strange symptoms of mental unsoundness. She would
sometimes be seized with fits of violence during which it was with great
difficulty that she could be controlled. Several times she threatened
the lives of her nurses, and even on one occasion attempted to execute
her threat, the person's life being saved by mere accident. Everything
was done for her that could be done, but the mania increased to such
a degree of violence that she was sent to an asylum for the insane.
Here she remained for months before she became sufficiently tractable
to be taken to her home and cared for by friends. Too close application
to study was the cause at first assigned for her mental disorder, but
a careful investigation of the case revealed the fact that the terrible
sin which has ruined the minds of so many promising young men and
brilliant young women was the cause that led to the sad result in this
case also. The punishment of sin, especially of sexual sins, is indeed
terrible; but the sin is a fearful one, and the penalty must be equal
to the enormity of the crime. Not all young women who indulge thus will
become insane, but any one who thus transgresses may be thus punished.
There is no safety but in absolute purity.
A Penitent Victim.--A young woman who had been ill for years, and whose
physicians had sought in vain to cure her various ailments, until her
parents almost despaired of her ever being anything but a helpless
invalid, came to us for treatment, resolved upon making a last effort
for health. She had grown up in utter ignorance of the laws of health
and of the results of the vice of which we are writing; and having been
early taught the sin, she had indulged it for a number of years with
the result of producing a most terribly diseased condition of the sexual
organs, which had baffled the skill of all the physicians who had
attended her, none of whom had ever been made acquainted with the true
cause of the difficulties. When apprized of the real facts in the case,
that she was alone responsible for the sad condition into which she
had fallen, her eyes were opened to see the wickedness and vileness
of her course. She bitterly bemoaned her past life, and heartily
repented of her sins. Of the sincerity of her repentance she gave
evidence in the earnest efforts which she put forth to help herself.
She spared no pains to do well all required on her part, and was soon
rewarded by feeling that her diseases were being removed and health
was returning. Still, she was constantly reminded of her former sins.
When the will was off its guard, during sleep, the mind, long indulged
in sin, would revert to the old channels and riot in vileness. Unchaste
dreams made her often dread to sleep, as she awoke from these
unconscious lapses enervated, weak, and prostrated as though she had
actually transgressed. But though often thus almost disheartened she
continued the struggle, and was finally rewarded by gaining a perfect
victory over her mind, sleeping as well as waking, and recovering her
health sufficiently to enable her to enjoy life and make herself very
useful.
Not a few similar cases have come under our observation; and it seems
to us that the pain, anguish, and remorse suffered by these poor victims,
ought to be a warning to those who have never entered the sinful road.
What a terrible thing it is for a pure and lovely being, designed by
God to fulfill a high, holy, and sacred mission in the world, to become
a victim to such a filthy vice! No girl of sense would in her right
mind raise her hand to dash in pieces a beautiful vase, to destroy a
lovely painting, or a beautiful piece of statuary. A girl who would
do such a thing would be considered insane and a fit subject for a
mad-house. Yet is not the human body, a girl's own beautiful,
symmetrical form, infinitely better, more valuable and more sacred,
than any object produced by human art? There can be but one answer.
How, then, is it possible for her thus to defile and destroy herself?
Is it not a fearful thing? a terrible vice?
A Ruined Girl.--One of the most remarkable cases of disease resulting
from self-abuse which ever came under our observation was that of a
young lady from a distant Western State whose adopted parents, after
consulting many different physicians for a peculiar disease of the
breast, placed her under our care. We found her a good-looking young
woman about seventeen years of age, rather pale and considerably
emaciated, very nervous and hysterical, and suffering with severe pain
in the left breast, which was swollen to nearly double the natural size,
hot, tense, pulsating, and extremely tender to the touch. Occasionally
she would experience paroxysms in which she apparently suffered
extremely, being sometimes semi-conscious, and scarcely breathing for
hours. We suspected the cause of these peculiar manifestations at the
outset, but every suggestion of the possibility of the suspected cause
was met with a stout denial and a very deceptive appearance of innocent
ignorance on the subject. All treatment was unavailing to check the
disease. Though sometimes the symptoms seemed to be controlled, a
speedy relapse occurred, so that no progress toward a cure was made.
Finally our conviction that our first impression respecting the case
was correct became so strong that we hesitated no longer to treat it
as such. By most vigilant observation we detected evidences of the
soul-corrupting vice which we considered unmistakable, and then the
young woman who had pretended such profound ignorance of the matter
confessed to an extent of wickedness which was perfectly appalling.
Every paroxysm was traced to an unusual excess of sinful indulgence.
So hardened was she by her evil practices that she seemed to feel no
remorse, and only promised to reform when threatened with exposure to
her parents unless she immediately ceased the vile practice. In less
than ten days the mysterious symptoms which had puzzled many physicians
disappeared altogether. The swollen, tender breast was no larger than
the other, and was so entirely restored that she was able to strike
it a full blow without pain.
So great was the depravity of this girl, however, that she had no notion
of making a permanent reform. She even boasted of her wickedness to
a companion, and announced her intention to continue the practice. We
sent her home, and apprized her parents of the full facts in the case,
for which we received their deepest gratitude, though their hearts were
nearly broken with grief at the sad revelation made to them.
Notwithstanding their most earnest efforts in her behalf, the wretched
girl continued her downward career, and a year or two after we learned
that she had sunk to the very lowest depths of shame.
Once this now wretched, disgraced creature was an attractive, pure,
innocent little girl. Her adopted father lavished upon her numerous
presents, and spent hundreds of dollars to obtain her recovery to health.
Yet through this awful vice she was ruined utterly, and rendered so
wholly perverse and bad that she had no desire to be better, no
disposition to reform. God only knows what will be her sad end. May
none who read these lines ever follow in her footsteps.
The Danger of Boarding-Schools.--Some years ago a young lady came under
our medical care who had suffered for some time from a serious nervous
difficulty which had baffled the skill of all the physicians who had
had charge of her case, and which occasioned her a great amount of
suffering, making it necessary that she should be confined to her bed
most of the time, the disease being aggravated by exercise, and the
patient having been much weakened by its long continuance.
All the remedies usually successful in such cases were employed with
little or no effect, and we were feeling somewhat perplexed concerning
the case, when the young lady sent for us one day and upon our going
to her room in answer to her call she immediately burst into tears and
acknowledged that she had been addicted to the habit of self-abuse and
that she was still suffering from involuntary excitement during sleep.
Having been placed in a boarding-school when quite young, she had there
learned the vile habit, and had practiced it without knowing anything
of the ill effects or really appreciating its sinfulness. When she
learned, some years after, that the habit was a most pernicious vice
and of a character to bring destruction to both soul and body of one
addicted to it, she endeavored to free herself from its shackles; but
she found herself too securely bound for escape. It seemed, indeed,
an utter impossibility. Her thoughts had long been allowed to run in
sentimental channels, and now they would do so in spite of the most
earnest efforts to the contrary, during her waking hours; and in sleep,
while the will power was not active, the imagination would run riot
uncontrolled, leaving her, upon awaking, exhausted, enervated, and
almost desperate with chagrin. Knowing that she was daily suffering
for her transgressions, she was filled with remorse and regret, and
would have given all to undo the past; but, alas! she could not, and
could only suffer with patience until relief could be secured. Her love
for sentimental literature occasioned another battle for her to fight;
for she could scarcely resist the temptation daily offered her to while
away some of the weary hours with such stories of love and sentiment
as she had been accustomed to enjoy. But she fought the battle earnestly,
and finally succeeded in conquering the evil tendencies of her mind
both while awake and when asleep; and from that time she began to make
slow progress toward recovery. The last we saw of her she was doing
well, and hoped in time to arrive at a very comfortable state of health.
A Desperate Case.--A little girl about ten years of age was brought
to us by her father, who came with his daughter to have her broken of
the vile habit of self-abuse into which she had fallen, having been
taught it by a German servant girl. Having read an early copy of this
work, the father had speedily detected the habit, and had adopted every
measure which he could devise to break his child of the destructive
vice which she had acquired, but in vain. After applying various other
measures without success, it finally became necessary to resort to a
surgical operation, by which it is hoped that she was permanently cured,
as we have heard nothing to the contrary since, and as the remedy seemed
to be effectual. It was a severe remedy, and may seem a harsh one, but
every other means utterly failed, and the father insisted upon the
performance of the operation as a trial. This little girl, naturally
truthful and honest, had, through the influence of this blighting vice,
been made crafty and deceptive. She would tell the most astonishing
falsehoods to free herself from the charge of guilt or to avoid
punishment. The gentleman, her father, felt so deeply upon the subject
and was so thoroughly awake to the consequences of the sin, that he
declared he would take his daughter away into the wilderness and leave
her to die, if need be, rather than allow her to grow up to womanhood
with this vile blight upon her, and run the risk of her contaminating
with the same vice his other, younger children. He felt so deeply that
the tears coursed down his cheeks as he talked, and we were most happy
to be of service to him in aiding his daughter to overcome the
fascinating vice. She seemed willing to try to help herself, but was
unable to break the bonds of sin without the extraordinary help which
she received.
We might continue this rehearsal of cases to an almost indefinite length,
but we must soon bring this chapter to a close. Those described are
only a few examples of the many we are constantly meeting. None have
been overdrawn; much has been omitted for the sake of delicacy which
the exposure of the whole truth would have required us to present. We
sincerely hope that these examples may be a warning to those who have
never marred their purity of character by an unchaste act. To those
who may have already sinned in this manner let the words come with double
force and meaning. Do you value life, health, beauty, honor, virtue,
purity? Then for the sake of all these, abandon the evil practice at
once. Do not hesitate for a moment to decide, and do not turn back after
deciding to reform.
A Last Word.--Girls, as one who has only your best interests in view,
and who would do you good, we beg of you to give heed one moment to
the important matter which we have been presenting before you. It is
of no frivolous character. It is one of the most important subjects
to which your attention can be called. Only those who are utterly
ignorant of the dangers which surround them in the world, or who are
already hardened in sin, will treat this matter lightly or scornfully.
If you are still pure and possess a character unsoiled by sin, thank
God that you have been preserved until now, and humbly petition him
to enable you to remain as pure and unsullied as you now are. Cultivate
all of the heavenly graces. Make your dear mother your confidant in
all your perplexities and trials. Go to her for information on all
subjects upon which you find yourself ignorant. Let no foreign
influence beguile away your confidence from her who is most worthy of
your love and respect, and who is best prepared to instruct you on all
subjects, no matter how delicate. Trust in God for help to resist evil
under every guise. Flee from temptation under whatever form it may
appear. Thus may you escape the suffering, the sorrow, and the remorse,
which is endured sooner or later by all who enter the road of sin, no
matter how short a time they may travel therein.
To those who have already fallen, who have been led astray either
ignorantly or through weakness in yielding to temptation, we will say,
Turn from your evil way at once. Misery, sorrow, anguish, and
everlasting ruin stare you in the face. Perdition is before you. You
need not think to escape the punishment that others suffer, for there
is no way of escape. The penalty will surely come. Make haste to return
to the paths of purity before it is too late to mend the past. It may
take years of pure and upright living to repair the evil already done;
but do not hesitate to begin at once. With the help of God, resolve
to become pure again. God can cleanse you from all unrighteousness.
He can enable you to chase from your mind and heart every impure thought
and unclean desire. Through his grace you can successfully battle with
temptation and redeem the black record of the past.
A FEW WORDS TO BOYS AND GIRLS.
Of the last two preceding chapters one was devoted exclusively to advice
and instruction to boys, the other being written expressly for girls.
Now we have a few words in conclusion for boys and girls together. It
is of the greatest importance that our boys and girls should be in every
way improved as much as possible. They are to become the men and women
of the next generation, when their fathers and mothers have retired
from active life. Twenty years from to-day the world will be just what
the present boys and girls shall make it. Boys who are chaste, honest,
obedient, and industrious, will become useful and noble men, husbands,
and fathers. Girls who are pure, innocent, and dutiful, will become
honored and lovely women, wives, and mothers.
Boys and girls are placed in families together, and thus are evidently
designed by nature to associate together, to obtain their education
and preparation for life together. When secluded wholly from each
other's society, both suffer a loss. But while this is true, it is also
true that certain evils may and often do grow out of the association
of the two sexes of young people, so serious in character that many
wise and good men and women have felt that the sexes should be reared
and educated apart as much as possible. These evils are the result of
too intimate and improper associations of boys and girls. Associations
of this sort must be most sedulously avoided. Boys and girls who are
in school together must be extremely careful to avoid too close
associations. On all occasions a modest reserve should be maintained
in the deportment of the young of both sexes toward each other. Too
early friendships formed often lead to hasty marriages, before either
party is prepared to enter into the married state, and before the
judgment has been sufficiently developed to make either capable of
selecting a suitable partner for life. These facts are usually learned
when it is too late for the information to be of any value.
Parents and teachers are especially responsible for guarding these
early associations and giving timely warning when needed. The youth
should always be ready to take advice on this subject, for with their
inexperience they cannot know their wants so well as do their elders.
Nothing is more disgusting to persons of sound sense than youthful
flirtations. Those misguided persons who encourage these indiscretions
in young people do an immense amount of injury to those whom they ought
to be prepared to benefit by wise counsel. We have seen promising young
people made wretched for life through the influence of one of these
mischief-makers, being most unhappily mated, and repenting too late
of a hasty marriage for which they were utterly unprepared.