A CHAPTER FOR GIRLS 459 



impossibility. Her thoughts had long been allowed to 

 run in sentimental channels, and now they would do so 

 in spite of the most earnest efforts to the contrary, 

 during her waking hours; and in sleep while the will 

 power was not active, the imagination would run riot 

 uncontrolled, leaving her, upon awaking, exhausted, 

 enervated, and almost desperate with chagrin. Know- 

 ing that she was daily suffering for her transgressions, 

 she was filled with remorse and regret, and would have 

 given all to undo the past; but, alas! she could not, 

 and could only suffer with patience until relief could 

 be secured. Her love for sentimental literature occa- 

 sioned another battle for her to fight; for she could 

 scarcely resist the temptation daily offered her to while 

 away some of the weary hours with such stories of love 

 and sentiment as she had been accustomed to enjoy. 

 But she fought the battle earnestly, and finally suc- 

 ceeded in conquering the evil tendencies of her mind, 

 both wliile awake and when asleep ; and from that time 

 she began to make slow progress toward recovery. The 

 last we saw of her she was doing well, and hoped in 

 time to arrive at a very comfortable state of health. 

 A Desperate Case.— A little girl about ten years 

 of age was ])rought to us by her father, who came with 

 his daughter to have her broken of the vile habit of 

 self-abuse into which she had fallen, having been taught 

 it by a German servant girl. Having read an early 

 copy of this work, the father had speedily detected the 

 habit, and had adopted every measure that he could 

 devise to break his child of the destructive vice which 

 she had acquired, but in vain. After applying various 

 other measures without success, it finally became nec- 

 essary to resort to a surgical operation, by which it 

 is hoped that she was permanently cured, as we have 



