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.