Social injustice causes the greater part of the young women of the lower orders both to fall into and to remain enslaved in the sink of prostitution: the writers of their history agree in calling them the victims of destitution, ignorance and seduction. The insufficiency of the city-workwoman’s earnings sometimes forces her, even in a season of industrial prosperity, to supplement her means by the sale of her person; that is termed the fifth quarter of the working day. When employment fails, this species of right to labour makes up the entire day’s earnings. In different towns, according to the evidence of the inspectors of the department of morals, women who have not totally lost every sentiment of modesty are driven to ignominy by the want of the means of support. In our manufacturing towns, even children serve as food for profligacy. Generally, the destitution of these women is such, that out of 6000 registered in Paris, only two had any other resource. One woman might be instanced who struggled for three days with the pangs of hunger before yielding. Two young girls, through having recoiled from this horrid expedient, dropped down, in an hospital, half dead from want of nourishment. Ignorance is another so fruitful cause of ruin for these women, that, of 4000 natives of Paris, hardly a hundred were able to sign their name. In other towns facts as sad are borne witness to. The privileges enjoyed by seducers are often their original cause, for these privileges are the cause of women without resources being borne down by the burden of maternity, and of illegitimate daughters being left in destitution. These, moreover, constitute the fourth part of the total number of the inmates of the recognised brothels, completed partly by the victims of seduction.[2] These latter have followed men, who, after having promised them marriage, have cruelly deserted them in the towns where they were without the means of support. Others, incurring the disgrace and curse of a first fall, find no refuge but in profligacy. Girl-mothers are also to be met with, who are forced to become prostitutes to bring up their children. Often, says one of their historians, cases very embarrassing to the Administration are brought under notice; young girls not wholly corrupted evince penitence, can be reclaimed, and wish to return to their homes, but their parents disown them, _and they are obliged to be registered_. Others, forsaken from their very birth, have been brought up by themselves; they know neither their father nor mother, their age nor name. What is to be done? They are forced to be admitted. No path opens before them; the Administration offers a passport gratuitously, and, _sometimes_, a pair of shoes, to the young female under age, without profession, shelter, clothes, or food, and sends her back to her native place. One of our depraved men, in whom genius kept alive some ray of feeling, sometimes experienced a