The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-03-30
RAvENNA. OHIO.
pHNc1L1Nas BY LAMp-I1aHr.
Charity and Good Spirits.

:
Howard. the great Pbilanthropist. was sub /
ject to great depression of spirits.s Had he
given way to them. be would probably have
I died a melancholy madman years before be so
pobly closed welispent and useful life. He
declared that the best remedy, he found for
low spirits was to put on his hat and go ont
and find a poor family in sickness and wretch-
ed6ess, whose wants he could in some way con-
tribute to Relieve. 1t was under this kind of
penalty, if he relaxed. that he went on in the
glorious mission in which be spent his dag s.
7 Winter is the season when mary are doing
much good. among. the poor and distressed, !,
when many feel the damp. dark, sunless days
( and the close of the year depressing them,
even in the midst of pros perity. and when all
such may 6ad many opportunities for thus pro.
moiing their own happiness aud that of those
: around them.
l7f The remedy is a more natural one than
most conceive. The sight ofreal wretchedness
must make a reAecting person ashamed OF
those imaginary sorrows over which SO, many
brood. Most low spirits proceed from disap.
pointed ambition Of some kind, from wounded
vanity and pride- A sensitive man looks with
green.eyed jealousy on,those who seem to have
climbed the steps of the social ladder higher
than himself The merchant aces one who
has grown rich faster, than he, without ex-
= hbiting half the ability or industry. The law
yer or physician notices some half educated
) blunderer who, without professional skill. has
byimpudence or good fortune, outstripped hin
in his professional career. and rolls 10 wealth
where be has only bare competency Anc
: the statesman perceives many grovelling anG
time serving weather, cock climbing TO the toE
of the tree while he, through 6rm adherence
toaconseience patriotism and trne principles
seems left in the shade of comparative ohscu
rity. No wonder all those men feel discour
aged and disheartened .l sssss
But all this arises from looking up instea'
of looking around-sand sometimes looking
down. in order to assist others to climb. o
conrsc there are plenty Of men walking in higl
p,- Who do not deserve to be there half a
much as those who are walking unnotice,
v;th not more than the average Of success
But on The other hand how many are there IA
more deserving, Industrious and welleducatet
whose ealamities and misfotrtunes have bee
% hundred fold more severe and bitter. tina
those of the low spirited man of average pro-
perity. whose comfortable home and luxnrior
{, table and .labor,saying arrangements, beget
him that sensitiveness and depression whicl
coupled with his ambition, deprive him of a
ease or happiness. ssa
1t is well to look the worst in the fac.
There is many a fair-haired daughter of wealt
brought up in every luxury, now teilng vii
her needle for bare sustinence; and workir
with desperate competition for bread for sts
wing little ones against the iron fingers of tl
sewing msehine. In the cellars of New Y or
are sons and daughters of want, families
!. affection, dozens Of them. in cold winte,
The existence Of these ought to render eve
man contented who has bread to eat and r.
ment to put on, It is by looking at tho
.tter off that ambition is excited; and
-,,drs sitting those that are worse off that we les
TO be at least conteuted. eisaF ca
A 1others Influence. .5--- .tas
s biafHow touching the tribute of the Hon.
Fl. Benton TO his mothers influence: u
mother asked me never to use tobacco, an
have never touchedEit from that time to /,
4 present.dag, she asked me not to game, an
have never gained, and cannot tell who
4ulMinniDg and who is losing in games that !,
/. - be played. She admonished me, too, agai
drinking, and whatever capacity for