A CHAPTER FOR GIRLS 453 



that of an individual who had early become addicted 

 to secret vice, and had continued the vile habit until 

 that time, when she was about thirty-two years of age. 

 In spite of the most solemn vows to reform, she still 

 continued the habit, and had become reduced to such 

 a miserable condition that she would almost rather 

 die than live. She sent with her letter photographs 

 representing herself at twenty, and also when she 

 wrote, so that we might see the contrast. It was indeed 

 appalling to see the changes sin had wrought. Her 

 face, once fair and comely, had become actually hag- 

 gard with vice. Purity, innocence, grace, and modesty 

 were no longer visible there. The hard lines of sin 

 had obliterated every trace of beauty, and produced a 

 most repulsive countenance. Though greatly depraved 

 and shattered by sin and consequent disease in body 

 and mind, she still had some desire to be cured, if 

 possible, and made a most pitiful appeal for help to 

 escape from her loathsome condition. We gave her the 

 best counsel we could under the circumstances, and did 

 all in our power to rescue her from her living death; 

 but whether in any degree successful we cannot tell, 

 as we have never heard from the poor creature since. 

 We have often wished that we might show those 

 two pictures to every girl who has been tempted to 

 sin in this way, to all who have ever yielded to this 

 awful vice. The terrible contrast would certainly pro- 

 duce an impression which no words can do. We sent 

 them back to their wretched original, however, by her 

 request, and so cannot show the actual pictures; but 

 when any who read these lines are tempted thus to 

 sin, we beg of them to think of these two pictures, and 

 by forming a vivid image of them in the mind, drive 

 away the disposition to do wrong. 



