24 An Appeal to the Young. 



as an inferior kind of animal altogether; that not 

 content with holding you in his relentless grip by 

 means of the wage-system, he is further anxious to 

 make you a slave in every respect. Then you will 

 either bow down before him, you will give up the 

 feeling of human dignity, and you will end by suffer- 

 ing every possible humiliation; or the blood will 

 rush to your head, you shudder at the hideous slope 

 on which you are slipping down, you will retort, and, 

 turned out workless on the street, you will under- 

 stand how right socialists are when they say "Revolt ! 

 rise against this economic slavery! " Then you will 

 come and take your place in the ranks of the social- 

 ists, and you will work with them for the complete 

 destruction of all slavery — economic, social, and 

 political. 



Some day again you will learn the story of that 

 charming young girl whose brisk gait, frank manners, 

 and cheerful conversation you so lovingly admired. 

 After having struggled for years and years against 

 misery, she left her native village for the metropolis. 

 There she knew right well that the struggle for ex- 

 istence must be hard, but she hoped at least to be 

 able to gain her living honestly. Well, now you 

 know what has been her fate. Courted by the son 

 of some capitalist she allowed herself to be enticed 

 by his fine words, she gave herself up to him with 

 all the passion of youth, only to see herself aban- 

 doned with a baby in her arms. Ever courageous, 

 she never ceased to struggle on ; but she broke down 

 in this unequal strife against cold and hunger, and 

 she ended her days in one of the hospitals, no one 

 knows which. . . . 



What will you do? Once more there are two 

 courses open to you. Either you will push aside the 

 whole unpleasant reminiscence with some stupid 

 phrase: "vShe was not the first and will not be the 

 last," you will say; perhaps, some evening, you will 

 be heard in a public room, in company with other 



