Case II: Cooperation

Wilhelmina, a widow with one child to support, ekes out a scanty living by keeping a notion store and renting rooms to a few lodgers. Juliana is a very liberal customer and purchases many things at the store of the widow. She has a son, a good fellow, but a little wild, who is in love with Alberta. He has tried to pay his address to the young lady at her home, but her parents will not permit him to do so. They have also forbidden Alberta to call at the house of her lover’s parents. To avoid the difficulty, Joyce, the lover, hires a room in the house of Wilhelmina and there he receives the visits of his sweetheart. Wilhelmina is now scrupulous about the matter and wishes to know from her confessor whether she can continue to rent the room for this use.

Answer.—The confessor must first find out what effects are consequent upon these secret visits of Alberta to the room of her devoted Joyce. Are these visits the occasion of serious sin? Do they give serious scandal? The lovers may meet and yet have no temptation to sin; or they may sin. If the widow has moral certainty that her lodger uses the room for the purpose of sin, then she must refuse to let him have the room. If she does not so act, she is guilty of cooperation in his sin. If the secret meeting becomes known then scandal will inevitably follow, with the loss of reputation to both parties. However, Wilhelmina is not certain that any sinful action takes place; and no one knows of the meeting but herself. Besides, if she dismisses Joyce, she will have difficulty in renting the room. This she knows from experience, and it is a serious matter with her, for she earns scarcely enough to pay for her own rent and support herself and child. Before compelling her to refuse the room to her lodger all these circumstances must be weighed. She fears likewise, and with good reason, that she will lose the trade of Juliana, which is a very considerable item in her battle for proper existence. If sin is committed, not even these circumstances will permit her to keep the room at the disposal of the young people. She must get rid of them. If they do not come together for evil purposes, but merely to see each other and spend a happy hour or two, and no scandal is the resultant, then we do not think that she is obliged to suffer the grave consequences alleged, but can continue to derive her revenue from the rental of the room. There is one thing certain: that is, Alberta is disobeying, if not the letter, at least the spirit, of the prohibition of her parents. Yet it is no part of the duty of the widow to force obedience from Alberta. In any case she cannot control Alberta on this point. So the widow is no determining factor in this disobedience. She is not to blame. In default of good reasons to the contrary we do not think it obligatory for Wilhelmina to dislodge the youthful schemer.