The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-01-31

M t1s
How often is il that vuoas principles are lost in the
exposures and temptations Of poverty How otlen that the
brightness OF genius IL shrouded in The veil OF want
How often that minds adapted 10 the highest pursuits and
nobest enterprises crashed by the hard hand of
eyed adversely How often thai childen. whose open
ing inieects seem ready 10 spring upon the theatre oil
science, OF erudon OF The arts OF poetry OF eloquence OF
general usefulness to the world doomed BY penury like
pearls TO the ocean, and flowers TO the desert How many
subjects such these surround and claim the nierpo
siiion OF benevolence Heaven only knows And many,
many the pangs OF hunger and OF cold that weched
elloW -Dorals feel that we know not. think not dream
not Of Their dismal habalions shut from our
view Their OF anguish and lamentations Of despair
smoheTed in the din OF busy fen the noise OF social
mirthn the cheerful voices that surround do
nestle hearth, and make homes happy. But while
we behold not their misery and hear moi their sobs OF
sorrow and their wall OF grief, should not forget that
those suferngs do exist-lha they human, and feel
those wants that are common TO us all
"Ah! liue think the gay, Iicenous. proud,
They who their though,ess hours in gidly mir,6
Aud Wanon--oen cruel--riot waste
"a iaa,s .h INK hey while they dance along
And all tho sad varieties Of pain"
To inspire this sad remembrance-to bring our mind
the consciousness that mutudes now suffering The
thousand ills OF poyertyis the purpose OF assenbage
here.
The kind spirits that lead this institution are exalted
and liberal IN their philanthropc purpose This society
is not sectaan in its minslraons. belongs to pc
cnar Glass; either religious political, social Here
Presbyerians Episcopaans, and other denominations,
unite for tue dissemination OF charities, without regard
70 The sect or nativity or condition Of the objects that
claim their care They ask no questions. when they
enter the abode OF distress as 10 secaran faith They
turn not their backs upon subject OF confederation be-
cause ITS birth was IN distant land, nor do they allow
even the vicm Of moral degradation 10 pass unbles By
their charnes They 90 to The elie OF all sects and
denominations They comfort alike the native and the
alien They bear their cheering aims not only 10 the
place where vice has dwe with want but also to-
the dreaTy dens where
"unptea and unheard" low misery groans
Where sic kness pines; whe re hi II and hunger burn,
And poor misfortune lees the lash Of vies ("
hisin such cause as this that lave been summoned
here IS to such benevoence this that called
to lend helping hand Letus, them remember the poor
Let remember that their hearts are like our hearts
our hunger that their ntirmtes like innities
that their necessities are far greater than ours Let us
remember that the children Of the wetched poor like
our Children bearing the impress of human genius and
human beauty and that, if led by the hand Of benevo-
ence they may be rescued from the pitfalls Of degrada
ton and vice that lie before them. and rendered
ments to society and blessings to the world Let listen
with the watchful ear OF tender humanity, and shall
hear the voices OF the father mother, and little children
sending up their plantive strains and mnglng together
in the sad chorus OF sorrowful SPECIFICATION They tell
US OF trembling limbs; of toterng frames; of breaking
hearts OF rooess eidess reltss, cherries homes
They tell Of srie OF desolalon, and despai, Already
have we heard the tempest blow, and felt the chilling
winds OF wnlero cold and dreary winter before whose
ICY brea,L the children OF pale penury shrink, and feel
turn with suppIicating look. To you the trembling
mother turns her fearful eyes, and for her helpless off
spring and herself impores protection from the coming
storms-in the midst OF which her little ones shall gather
around and end her hear with cries for fire and bread
We are human, and yet we are but human We can
feel, and we ought feel for others woes; and our
sympahes for human misfortune should be deepened IN
hearts by the truth that ourselves subject to
The uncertainties and vicis-udes OF human life. Those
who bravely meet winter now, may trenbe when II
comes again; and those who 1--we in luxury and ease
may soon be doomed 10 eat the bread OF charity. When
borne into the silent grave, the children whom
love and leave behind may have TO tread the deay path
WAY N rIauI aupar efn mpnha nh
while we remember. let us gIve-not only our sympa
thles; not only our com nisea ton not only our kind
bu let give in that substantial which will ale
vla'e the distress of the needy which will feed the
hungry, ciohs the Naked and comfort the dsconsoale
benevolent woman a celebrated authorizes, whose
name Is written golden letters the records OF human
neiactionswhose home in foreign land, but now
is in better wod-was arrested, while on her way one
evening TO join party OF friends, by The burning OF
mousse. The poor family within, who had gone to bed
were with difficulty aroused from their SAUNDERS In the
midst OF the he woman sprang from the second story OF
the burning house. who. remembering that she had left
her child behind, rushed back through the flames and
smoke. and 10 the Joy OF all soon returned with in
FAINT in her arms Bu alas when the light Of the con-
fagra fell upon the face OF the child. how deep
the anguish OF the wreched woman and how piercing her
shrleks, on finding that she had rescued the child of
other, and left her to perish the devourng element
The profound sympathy excited by this narrowing
scene rise 10 imne date subscription for the relief
OF the miserable mother. While others were making
their contributions, nobleman stepped up and address
ing the benevolen, lady OF whom frs, spoke, said "a"
wall give you, madam'-upon which she extended her
hand expecting large donation, when to her morica
ton and surprise, he conilnued-"l will give you this al
fecting incident tor your next tragedy"
Shall this be the limit of your benev olence
While the poor starving and freezing ysur city, and
multliudes are mngng together their pteous cries for
help, shall this be the limit OF your charity Will you
cay TO these benevolent ladies' will give you the a
festng incidents OF human suffering with which you may
meet during the wIaer for your next annual report,
while you lok the clasps OF your purses and deny them
The means OF answering the thrilling appeals OF human
want that will be poured into Their ears Shall this be
the limit OF your philanthropy OF your generosity, OF
your humanity III so, then indeed, when another year
shall have rolled around and these faithful shall
come again to tell Their story you hear in the real
ing of their annual report, the reading OF tragedya
tragedy fraugh with all the horrors of hunger OF cold OF
sickness. OF desoaion. and despair o allow, lingering
tornrng death We know not, nor can we conceive OF
the wre,chedne-s OF The miserabIy poor When the icy
hand OF Winter shall again have spread his white mantle
deeply the EARTH and his cold breath shall sweep the
whitening frosls and wait the drifting SHOWS into the
deay deenceess habitatons OF the destitute, could we
then leave our comfortable homes and repair to those
novels oil suffering and sorrow, we might form some con
ception OF the desution and misery that reign within
We should there see families shvering with cold, and
sickenng with privaiions and hunger. No sparkling
fire, blankets no comfortable clothing, perhaps
no bread would meet sight We should there behold
the husband and father stricken BY nfrmy, helpless
dependant upon the tolls OF feeble woman-a sharer,
with bis helpless children, OF the scanty earnings OF the
wife and mother, who, while bringing to thsn but mite
and her griefs, into the grave We there might the
widowed mother surrounded by her tender offspring cry
ing peousy with hunger and with cold, melan
rholy STILL bending the bed of straw on which s laid