Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-08-01
1855.
Private Charity and Public Muni6cenee

New York to the funds of the St. Luke, u
Hospital, was a roll Of FIVE one thousand
dollar bills. They were dropped so quietly
into the plate, it is said, not even the gentle 4
man who received them knew from whom
they came.-Erchange. n
Amid all our boosted philantbropsthere is.
after all, very little sympat63f6rthe ~yirtuous
poor. Sentimentalism is all the time MAKING
loud professions of its tender regard for tbo
humble classes. But these professions If
regard are greatly at war with the demon.
STATIONS of everyday life. Deny it if Won
dare poverty Is held in con!empt, Honor.
able department, industry and fidelity. ex-
emplifed in the life of a poor man, 90 no,
awaken those lively throbs in the public
pulse that we find spoken of in the siIken
theories Of authors on the subject, or in the
outbursts Of eloquent men who occasionaIlr
speak in defence of honest poverty. The
poor man is doomed by unfortunate circum-
stances TO meet with repulse, distrust, and
frequently contempt, where he ought TO be
met with cordiality, confidence and respect.
Popular sentiment is in error in this matter.
Because there ATE some unworthy as we'll
as Ap5N-btcause hberahty has someemcsA
been abused by treachcrous villainv-be-
cause idle persons have sometimes refused
to eat bread by the sweat Of the brow and
trusted for a livelihood to the whining Of
mendicant appeals therefore,, men, not re-
~nurious by nature, nor insensible to the
tenderness of sympathy, have tied the purse
string in a determined knot and classed all
the poor in the same category and from
false estimates deducted from individual ex.
amples, have narcotized a sensitive con-
science and frozen the fount of generous
sympathy.
The ostentatious parade of what is done
for the poor en- masse, does not satisfy the
wants of individual want or cancel the de-
; mands of christian obligation. COMMITTEES
= undertake the work of private bounty. Rich
:" men attempt to redeem their bonds of duty
to the poor by annual donations of an En-
: gllsh guinea or two to the fund for the poor
" in the hands of a committee. Present them
an object of sympathy-an honest man strug-
CLING with the giant of adversely, and the
life member" turns away with a business
S! sling of the shoulder and refers the object of
H. sympathy to a formal committee for formal
or relief.
We have No d;snos;t;on r. ontor r
ne against the public benefactions for the suffer
ing poor. Bible societies, tract societies,
tu- asylums, ragged schools, houses of refuge,
&C., all are important, but they appeal to
'ur more than the merely charitable in man.
= We are glad they are sustained, and would
oW rejoice TO see their operations extended an
md hundred fold. But is there no danger Of
eV- private charities suffering neglect, amid the
glare and pomp of modern and Fashionable
ods munifcence! True, when a man does a PR
yate act of charity, his left hand knowet
we not what bis right doeth-the public gazette
han do not herald it to the world with a -four
hat ish of trumpets-and the money worship
the pers do not open their eyes and say, 'Whert
mot fore was this waste?' But God sees it,
less an Angel writes 1.-THE heart of the give
ess- feels it-and there is sunshine in a home thu
'uid was darkened.
the The earth is crowded with those who's
'ach hearts are crushed with poverty-who
less lives is a struggle from day to day. III
up world shuts its great eye against it. The
anu are not beggars. But misfortune, sickness
bereavement, want of labor and dependal
: y families have placed them in the positiC
nc . they are found. The spirit of the times d
III mand they keep their misfOrtunes hid fro
the popular gaze if it is known the info
nate nprS0n 10 noor oro1:A IL c- -
gone. The world has adopted as its maxi
IS of Take care of yourself : and while
taste holds well, the poor, the MAIN, the halt al
AXE. blind will have but a poor chance in t
er it great lottery of life.
our We have beep led to these reflections
good the clipping at the head of this article
lent Truly it was a very delicate munifcence.
our We are not finding fault. 1t was prai.
grow worthy. The like will scarcely be seen agai
'tant atntess1 should become fashion5Le. 1t won
er to hardly pay as a fashion. How much %
St0e! might have been done with the FIVE tbousa
an II the generous and unobstrusive donor h
urge resolved: Il viii see what can be do
with live thousand dollars in private cha
5hou- ties. There is B., a fine, industrious, hC
ltlng est young fellow. He has been unfortun,
by loss of health and property [ will ST.
him up hill again with a new heart in
faith bosom. There is c., a man who is crush
e but by burthens that have fallen upon him.
then will take the weight off his shoulders a
have bid him God speed. There fs Mrs. D., Of
# our the happy wife of a young merchant. !
sress, verses IN fortune came. Her husband d
Mains and she tolls night and day to suppor
family of dependant children. A few {
reas lars will cast sunlight and song in her hr
team bic cottage. She and her babes shall kn
II ma that humanity is not buried for ave, thou
days her husband ism the grave Would not Oh
tiles like these be better than public s
= tscriptions and wise committees2 Men Q
legacies to build granite fronts for the DC
igned or rather the officers of the Poor Fund, a
arks- forget that he that giveth to The poor lend
d the to the Lord
ned When the ear heard me, then it blessed
ow to And when the eye saw me, then it gave v
" ness to me,
- Because ! delivered the poor that cried,
Mel And the fatherless and him that had non
l holm Bs~,