Vermont Telegraph

From the Advocate of Moral Reform.

"A man may smile and smile, and be a villain."—In the town of Middlebury, Vt. about six months since, two sisters hired a room in a very respectable house, and commenced the dress making business. One of these ladies, prepossessing in her appearance, had resided in Middlebury 3 or 4 years, and was considered a respectable girl, was a member of the Methodist church and a constant attendant on religious meetings. About one year since, she was employed in a public house, to assist as a waiter in the dining hall. While here, (as she has very recently confessed,) she became acquainted with a young lawyer, the son of a worthy minister in a neighboring town, (for whose sake and the sake of a very respectable family I would be silent, if I did not fully believe that justice to the community in which he resides and in which he holds the offices of grand juryman, justice of the peace, and attorney, demands that his practices and vices be made public,) who seduced her and since that time has been in the habit and practice of criminal intercourse with her. Shortly after her seduction, as a matter of necessity, she began to lose her religious impressions, and at length was dismissed from her connexion with the church. This is her own history previous to her taking up her abode with her sister in aforesaid house. It appears that since that time this lawyer has been in the constant habit of visiting this lady whom he had ruined. And in order to have the whole affair secret he was accustomed to enter the house after all the other occupants had retired. This was very easy to be done as there was an outward flight of stairs leading directly to her room, and if he should be heard passing through the hall he could be easily mistaken for some of the occupants of the upper part of the house. At the same time a tailor was in the habit of visiting the other sister, the effects of which soon became apparent, and she was secretly carried to the canal and took passage for Schenectady, where she is now boarding in a respectable house, and says she is a married lady, and in this way is deceiving those with whom she is boarding. Thus has this accursed business been carried on in the midst of the village of Middlebury, and both of these gentlemen have been seen walking with ladies since the above disclosures, who would be offended not to be considered virtuous; and yet "they will walk with the libertine, who should be treated in the same way as his ruined victim. This lawyer has moved in the most respectable circles in society and upon the 4th of July last was one of the managers of a large party of pleasure in Middlebury, and he was seen to go directly from his evening visit to his accustomed place of resort. How long will the virtuous receive into their society those who are known to be vicious ?— With the ladies of the west I would ask. "How long shall the blood-stained wheels of this murderous Juggernaut of vice be permitted to roll their ponderous car over the souls and bodies of human beings ?" How long shall the cry of 'indelicacy' be heard from the professed followers of the Savior, some of whose daughters are daily offered on the shrine of unholy lust? The above is but a sample of a thousand similar cases which I doubt not could be found in almost every village and town in the country; and will not then the wives and mothers in our country be induced to look to the interest of their sex!!!

TRUTH.