Page:Life in the Old World - Vol. I.djvu/317

Rh appears to me a great blessing. But on this subject I will let my young and lovely hostess, Mme. Gerdt, speak:

“During my stay in some of the large cities of Germany, I often saw young girls in indigent circumstances, driven to miserable marriages for the sake of a living, and many even driven to an evil life, from the insufficiency of honest earnings. When I saw these unfortunate girls, whose appearance plainly testified of their wretched calling, I longed to arrest them, and say to them: ‘Oh, why do you not adopt some honest trade, and gain for yourselves a comfortable independence, and a respectable position in life? If you only knew how good, how beautiful, this would be!’

“The sight of this misery amongst the young women, actually affected my health. I no longer took pleasure in any enjoyment; I saw everywhere this secret cancer, and knew not how it was to be remedied! When I returned hither, people believed that I was seriously ill.

“Here I was not afflicted by this sight. Here every young woman can, without difficulty, acquire, by her own labor, an honorable living. She need not marry merely for the sake of a secure position in life. She can wait till the husband comes whom she can highly esteem and love; and if such a one does not offer, she can live actively and happily in her own home. Her labor maintains her. She is not a burden, but an assistance, to her family. If she falls into error, the cause lies in herself, but not in her circumstances; not in the bitter temptation—want!”