And yet there is one trait of her sex that is not snuffed out. It is
the distinguishing trait of womankind and one of the finest traits that
the human race can boast of--the trait of constancy and devotion.
The lower the fallen woman sinks, the more wrongs and iniquities that
are placed upon her, the stronger it sometimes seems this devotion and
constancy becomes. Nine-tenths of all the women of the tenderloin, it
is stated, have some man, or some animal called a man, about whom this
affection, this dog-like devotion centers. No matter how much he may
abuse her, no matter if he takes every cent of the earnings of her
misery and shame, no matter if he beats and kicks her because she can
not give him more, the girl in nearly every case, is faithful to "the
kid" and the worst fate than can befall her is that "the kid" should
"throw her down." [In other words, forsake her.]
And "the kid" always throws her down some time; for "the kid" is not
encumbered with any such inconvenient traits as constancy and devotion.
Then there is carbolic acid, or a long debauch, and a sinking down of
the system, and the horrible disease against which even the county
hospitals, which are open to the criminals and outcasts of society, who
never did a stroke of useful work in all their lives, close their
doors. And then there is the dishonored grave, over which the friends
and the relatives, maybe, are ashamed to weep.
DANCE-HALLS TABOOED.
In the enlightened communities, where there is a healthy public
sentiment, dance-halls are no longer tolerated. Their day is over in
California, and in only a few places are they permitted to exist. In
the places where they do exist the communities are still hanging on the
ragged edge of frontier life, where there is little regard for the
common decencies of life. Sacramento recently made a clean-up of its
dives, and disreputable dance-halls were closed up.
It is recognized by those who are observant, that dance-halls are more
degrading than any other form of dissipation. They are public
institutions with their doors open to all who enter, and those with
money to spend are made welcome. When the money is gone, their welcome
is worn out, and if the person is saturated with liquor, he is kicked
out ignominiously, only to return when he has more money to spend.
THE RECRUITING STATIONS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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