Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-09-02
Our Social Circle.
Who is my Neighbor9

That depends very much upon your position
in society. If you own houses and lands,
keep servants and carriage, and the next
door family are little lower down on the
scale of position, that is, if they hire u
house, work for living, and keep no serv-
ants, of course, they are not your neighbors.
Society would appear very much out of
joint, If Hon. Mrs. A. should be seen calling
upon Mrs. B., the mechanics wife! Mrs.
A. would at once lose caste among her par
ticuar friends. No matter if Mrs B. is in
telligent and worthy, she is poor, and that is
reason enough why Mrs. A. should not make
her acquaintance.
Mrs. "A. is going to have a social visit
from few neighbors; she knows that Mrs.
B., who lives just across the street, is as well
educated, as talented, and as polite as the
friends whom she has invited to spend the
evening with her but Mrs. B. cannot sport
gold watch, or founced silk, nor can she
display rich furniture and velvet carpets,
neither can she set her table with imported
China, or silver plate; therefore, she is not
Mrs. AS. reighbor, does not belong to the
circle in which she moves, is never invited to
Mrs. AS. house, never receives a call from
her, or note of recognition, True they
both are members of the same church, but
they never eat together, except at the Lords
table, and then, as Mrs. A. sits in the front
pew, and Mrs. b. in the back one, Mrs. A.
will not need to recognize her poor sister at
all. Thus these women, who are equal in
everything but wealth, live, year after year,
side by side, and still remain strangers.
Mrs. A., from her wealthy position, is
obliged to Us iocate with the wealthy; it mat
tiers not how their wealth was acquired how
low they stand on the scale of morality, or
how vulgar and ignorant they are, it will not
do to neglect them. Their aoealh must be
respected; yes, that will insure them pass
port into the " first circles +"
This being the condition Of things, Mrs.
B. is obliged to remain at home, living on the
resources Of her own mind, deprived of all
refined and intelligent company, suited to her
taste, unless she is so fortunate as to find
such an intellect in the lower grades of So
ciety. We know there are bright gems
among the poor and neglected, but how sell
dom do the rich stoop to pick these diamonds
from the rubbish, bring them out to light,
and put them in the true position which their
worth and intelligence merit.
Now, we ask, is such a state of things
right? Is it right for Christians to make
such distinctions on account of wealth? Is
such a false etiquette of binding force on the
followers of the meek and lowly Jesus?
Everybody says, " No, of course not. |
do not make any such distinctions; | respect
people who are respectable, il they are poor
No doubt you do. Your reason and con-
science compel you to respect them, but you
are very particular to keep this matter Sc
cret in your own heart; you never give your
acquaintance occasion to suspect that you
look on your poor neighbor as an equal =
You never associate with her in public, never
introduce her to any Of your wealthy friends
and try to lift her upon your own platform
and give her the advantages and pleasures Of
the society you enjoy
Are you too proud and aristocratic to dc
this2 "Who hath made thee to differ, and
what hast thou which thou didst not receive p
Do you lack moral courage todoit2 Where
is your greatness of soul2 Do you lack al
inclination7 Where is your benevoence?
HELEN MAR.