PROTECT THE GIRLS.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1212, 25 December 1882, Page 2

PROTECT THE GIRLS.

cThere is a case coming up before a Chicago court that will be of great intev^t to thousands of people who have long desired a decision on some of the points that will be developed. It scows that a yonir; man, a member of one of the Chicago clubs, a gontlej man oi ; wealth and refinement, is to !be svk\l by the father of a young ■ woman for Si) 0.000 damages for | injancs received, while in his society. j The young people had been Ir-cpiug company for some years, and the carriage of the young man was often seen in front of the Michigan avenue residence of the young lady. Last December he ceased visiting her, and since that time ?he has been an inI valid, and has been treated for a spinal difficulty, and the father will | go into the court against his daughj tor's wish, to have tlie matter of responsibility settled. It seems that the [ young man is bow-legged, so much so : that it lias always been considered ' dangerous for any one to sit in hi? lap ! for fear they would fall through on the 1 floor and break some bones. It is 1 said that the young man knows his failing, and that he usually holds any person who may be in his lap with his arms, so thai there is nb danger of : falling tln-ough, but in this case he forgot the danger, and let the girl ! slip. The father claims that the young man, knowing how fearfully and wonderfully he is made, should have adopted precautions, and in his I complaint ho will swear that on several occasions lie has warned the young man that he should place a board across his lap, or some day his parenthesis legs would let somebody through. In his answer to this complaint the young man will say that his legg are just as nature made them, and that anybody who sit 3in his lap takes his chances. He adds that if the girl had used all the precaution 1 that one in so dangerous a position ' should use, and thrown her arms ; around his neck as others have done, there need have been no danger ; and ; while lie sympathizes deeply with her '. and lior far.iily, owing to the alleged ; injury, lie can not consider himself respon-.ible. Of course there are two eide3 to every question, and boih sides ■ will have oympathizers. While we do i not wish to take sides on the question 1 there are some tilings connected with i it that it seems a duty of he pious ! press to agitate. The country is full : of bow-logged young men, going about 1 peeking whom they may hold in their lap-;, aid the wonder is that more such i accidents do not occur. There should be some law to protect girls from bowlegged man. We throw safeguards around our trapeze performers by compelling the managers to place nets under them, and why should we not I provide by law that the bow-logged ! young man should string a hammock i under the boomerang legs to catch those- who may lose their spring balance, turn a somersault, and fall in the winter of their discontent. It would not be pleasant to the bowlogged young man to bo compelled to carry a hammock when lie went to see I his givl, but it would be safer for the girl. We have known a careful young i man, who was bow-lrggcd, to lay a i p.: esv-board, or a Peking-machine leaf j across his lap before he would let a girl down upon him ; but whore one young man is thus careful there are [ hundreds who uevov think of the I oilier hearts tha: arc liable to ache. Inventors have studied in vain on a device for protecting people from the dangers of boAV-legs, and doctors who straighten cvoss-eyes have tried to straighten bow-bgs, but nothing seems to avail. Hundreds of girls nnd : worn; 1 ] 1 , wlkii tlioy read this wil] Judder ! at the narrow oson-pe thoy have had | .'-"Gin falling through man-traps, and they will unite with us in the : that the Iv.v will pvoto"t , thc'Mi. Oh! Oh! of course, tlu-ro nre i some *.v*ho would never fall through. | though the hjs were bowed twice as ! much as they ar?, but many are so ; enrde*-! tl.'-y are never safe. — Burling - 1 ton 1 L:\vk - vf\