A Warning.

Observer, Volume XIV, Issue 795, 24 March 1894, Page 2

A Warning.

Are colonial girls of the middle-class more free-and-eaßy, less conventional in their ideas, less mindful of what that worthy but rather wearisome person Mrs Grundy may think, than their English sisters, m the same rank of life? I think they are, and I admire them for it. It seems to me that the distinction between innocent and healthy freedom of speech and action and ' fastness ' h one which many people fail to draw. But I confess that the innocent and commendable free-and-easiness of the average middle-class colonial girl is open to one objection : it exposes her to dangers she might otherwise escape. There are men (utterly undeserving of the name — human animals rather) who will not hesitate to abuse the confidence reposed in them by such girls. Such a case has just come to my knowledge. In the hope that it may serve as a warning to many girls and put their parents on their guard as well, I have thought it a duty to state what I know.

Ab ill-luck would have it, one of those human animals just referred to became acquainted some time ago with a respectable family resident in Auckland. The fellow wore a decent coat on his back and carried a glib tongue in his head. To all appearance he was as respectable as the family whose acquaintance he made. One member of this family is a bright and pretty girl, a typical colonial middle-class girl, modest and well-behaved, but full of fun, saucy, and free-and-easy— just such a girl as Polly Eecles, in 'Caste,' in fact. The human animal was attracted by this charming girl— aud he deliberately set himself to compass her ruin. He became • the friend of the family ' and when the intimacy was strong enough, called at the house of his friends and persuaded the daughter to meet him that evening as he ' wanted to introduce her to some particular friends of his.' The girl consented and her parents having perfect confidence in the wretch, allowed her to go with him.

The character of the house to which he took that innocent, unsuspecting girl may perhaps be guessed. When the girl realised the perilous situation in which she found herself she succeeded in making her escape from the room and rushed out into the hall where she met the woman who rents the premises. 'If you don't let me out of this house instantly,' Baid the girl, who was almost terrified out of her senees, ' it will be the worse for you.' The woman seeing that she meant it let her out. This happened quite recently in Auckland. The girl has not yet told her parents of the adventure. She was afraid lest her parents or other friends in their righteous indignation should proceed againßt the fellow, and she shrank, very naturally, from the publicity such proceedings would mean. And so the ' friend of the family' has escaped. He doubtless foresaw how things would go in the event of his infamous plan collapsing. The girl may be heartily congratulated on her escape. But it was a close shave.