Demoine courier., 1855-03-15
MISCELLANY.
From Peterson's Magazine.
"CAARTTY BEGINS AT HOME"
py MARY L. MEANY.

w utuuVuS turA vi SlStibk NV CutitU
circle OF her acquaintance; friendly calls.
NJ che said with business purposes 49,
Mrs Df.. Baldwi in WINS her most pnrticu
lar friend. and on her she made her first
cali. Asthe first pause in their CONVEX
satioR the visitor announced her errena.
II hope you are in a very charitable
Rsod TO day, for ! have come begging.'''
Indeed! wha, is the ohjec, that has
now excited our sympa,hies!'
"'fhere are two," was the reply, .bu,
mus, first speak Of the one in which /
sn particularly interested. As you are
aware our church is encountered with a
heavy dsbt, on account Of the repairs
,hs. were thought necessary some time
ago.; and every effort TO lisnIdate il having
proved unsuccessful. ~ssvera! ladies have
lroPased Ralding a Fancy Fair. Rev.
Mr.. B. has sanc,ioped The project.
and |, as one Of the originators thereof,
haze nkde out a list of those ladies from
-t"svs ,us,s aud ilberality ] expect . good
ssal of assa,ance: and at The head If The
lit stnnds Of course. the name Of Mrs.
Or. Bald v in"
Afrs. Baldwin bowed in acknowledge
men,cf .kc compliment. bu, expressed
rsErft ,hs, her ftiend's choice had no,
tallrn on seine one else so that she might
have rAert conspicuous commencement,
.H"Nav, no excusc--no r. fusal. my
irnr.'h interrupted Mrs. Gray. pla, fully
Il s.,ure J ou | will moi take either. for
nnici.a,. valuable all froa, you for
KY table"
II am sersy then tina, I must dirap
point your expectations by acquain,ing
,uu y i'm my determination to have noih
ing I, de with ,fis proposed FAIR was
Mrs. Baldwin's repiy. ..You are no,
ignorant. l presume, OF my views in re
gsrd =, The debt so iuolishiy incurred"
wow. Mrs. Baldwin," hastily inter
posed the victor. .'you surely viii not
refuse H. help us u Of our difficulty
merely because you think the improve
meats made were Unnecessary. You
Knew Dur poor church was miserablv
llain-in fact. il was quite shabby. l..
for one. Eel, ashamed to say that belong
Ell ,sit. Batnow, as every ore says il
IL guile creiiialie 10 the taste and zeal
II ,s members"
why do you aot sjd that it quite
tQIak ST James church in appearance,
which was The leading motive after all!"
s.id Mrs. Baldwin. looking archIy a,
the other lady, who could not repress a
seasciuus smile. 'sOnr poor charchi
~as s~ry comfortable, and is plalnness
h-ver strsck US unpleasanily till ST
lanes wss newly painted and decorated.
then ours became suddenly SD very
shabby in the eyes Of the majority, taat
,sry speedily decided on the like i'm.
provemen,t; mol considering that The ri
val congregation had been for years &C
c~rnula.ing a fund for the purpose, SO
that they aei,her incurred a debt nor alb
s.rsctcd from The usual fund fur bencyo
lent purposes. Our congregation on the
con.rary. hough,lessly contracted a hea,
W debt, ,he consequences Of which will
fall mos, heavily on the poor. whose
wants will be lille considered. while
every effsr. il needed fer The success OF
he Fair.
"Svnysu will not help me even by a
tfile!' queried Mrs. Gray, with evid.n,
disappointment.
"sNot this time; il I were not on prin
sipls oppose to the Fair, / should glsdIy
sssiss you in yonr undertaking. But you
hare sneAhe object, l believe, on Land;
psrhsps tina, will suit my ola-iash,oned
nSsions better
Mrs. Gray took a small book from her
tetisIle. This is for subscriptions and
daaalfons 10 the Foreign Missions. You
have never joiaed u socieiy-do lei
me registsr yodl name"
! Mrs. Baldwin shook her head gravely.
..For those whose wealth enables them
g contribute 70 this object without neg
lecting home charities, such a society
may answer .vely we'll. Tut as | 100 often
find my means Insufficient to relieve the
distress thatcomes under my observation,
i must beg ysu to excuse my non com.
Rliancs with your request"
"Ah, new, Mrs. Baldwin, this is all a
Jest. I am ssre; il is no, ike you to be
90 uncharitsble."
II can see no charity in sending a
: bw dollars across wide oceans, while
there are many persons 10 my own city
a sad need Of even the merest trife."
"But we need no. bes,ow all ~ sym.
pathy on them," urged the visitor. ave
can give 70 the poor, and yet not with
bold eur mite from the poor hea,hen."
io"My dear FRIEND" resumed the. hos
teas. Eaariouslv ~ssnltkouOh ma a memhev
OF . benevolent society you see a.grea,
deal 81 dsstitu.ion, you have no idea Of
the real want apd sufeTing which are all
asouad ~, YOU 70 among a Few oil