A CHAPTER FOR GIRLS 457 



treatment was unavailing to check the disease. Though 

 sometimes the sjTuptoms seemed to be controlled, a 

 speedy relapse occurred, so that no progress toward 

 a cure was made. Finally, our conviction that the first 

 impression respecting the case was correct became so 

 strong that we hesitated no longer to treat it as such. 

 By most vigilant observation we detected evidences of 

 the soul-corrupting vice which we considered unmis- 

 takable, and then the young woman who had pretended 

 such profound ignorance of this sin, confessed to an 

 extent of wickedness which was appalling. Every par- 

 oxysm was traced to an unusual excess of sinful indul- 

 gence. So hardened was she by her evil practices that 

 she seemed to feel no remorse, and only promised to 

 reform when threatened with exposure to her parents 

 unless she immediately ceased the vile practice. In less 

 than ten days the mysterious symptoms which had puz- 

 zled many physicians, disappeared altogether. The 

 swollen, tender breast was no larger than the other, 

 and was so entirely restored that she was able to strike 

 it a full blow without pain. 



So great was the depravity of this girl, however, 

 that she had no notion of making a permanent reform. 

 She even boasted of her wickedness to a companion, 

 and announced her intention to continue the practice. 

 We sent her home, and apprised her parents of the 

 full facts in the case, for which we received their deep- 

 est gratitude, though their hearts were nearly broken 

 with grief at the sad revelation made to them. Not- 

 withstanding their most earnest efforts in her behalf, 

 the wretched girl continued her downward career, and 

 a year or two after, we learned that she had sunk to 

 the very lowest depths of shame. 



Once this wretched, disgraced creature was an ac- 



