The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-02-22
A VISITOR AT WASHINGTON.

CoNTRAcTs AND coNPARIsoSs-LooKISG OVER
THE aRouND-MRs. LINCOLN AND MRS BEN
NETT.
Correspondents Of the Springfield Republican.
WAsHlSaToS, February, 1862.
have said, think, it is proof Of the high
origin Of our nature, that we always look for.
ward and upward, not very consistently per.
haps; but whatever we may be ourselves, we
ask, and to degree, expect perfection in the
people, and in the world generally, and do not
easily get ever our disappointment at not find
ing it. With such views it is most discourage
ing to loo kat Washington as it is, and at the
country generally: we want patriotism aud we
find selfshness; we had blaze at FIRST, gen.
uine one We thought, but it has smouldered
down into frey Goals of self interest. You
want to trust men and believe in them, and
You ind you cannot trust any one; you hear
of jobbing and money-making contracts till
you are sick, and whenever decent aud other.
wise honest pleops are involved, 10, they put
forth the stale plea, ''if don't have it some.
body else will, as if that was any excuse for
wickedness. Nay, man comes to you for
help, he is wool dealer, and he has con-
tract for muskets, and wants your help. swell
you understand muskets. do you not!" "No,
never fred one in my life Couldn't tell
rifle from smooth bore, but I've got the con.
tract, and now want you to help me out with
it." Of course, if you are decent man you
don't do it, if muskets are not in your line,-
but here is the temptation; if you helped him
and shared the profits, you might make him do
his work honestly.
This is one Of the dark sides, and it must be
confessed the figure is polygon, and the light
sides are few. We must try to balance the
good and evil. Many of the men are sick; on
the other hand many are more vigorous and
manly and in better health. We never have
all good or all bad. And in the country gen.
orally, when as many are ovsrworked
and perhaps quite as many too idle, the bur.
may be equalized. Women have found some.
thing to do, and could tell you of some see
who used to be nervous, miserable. wretched,
and so on, who now have found steady en-
in this army work, and who reap the
benefits of this regular employment, in improv-
ed health. Labor never was the curse, only
excessive toll. Mrs. X. met her friend Mrs.
q. on her way to 1.-THE rooms" with vast
bundle in her hands. "Stop and let me look at
you, I havn't seen yon look so we'll inSeix
years" Yes, she has an object in life, and
daily exercise and enough work to be very
good for her nerves and digestion. Moreover,
she Was not Of that class of the unfortunate
young lady who lisped out,-"Mother is going
to give me party in week or two, she says
then shall have something to think about!"
Again-the hearts Of the people are opened.
Leaving the contractors and their kind out Of
the question, it may be said, ..No one livsth TO
himself" OF course do not mean in the
White House and such places, where display is
q military Tor other) necessityv' The hearts
Of the people are opened, and others beside
the soldiers are supplied. There is class of
men known in our country as homo mission
aries, men who 60 into small and growing
towns and see that the church and the school
house grow up side BY side as institutions Of
the place. They suffer all the privations Of
western pioneer life, without the prospect of
bsttsriDg themselves, like the man whose farm
and possessions are growing in value every
day. Mrs Stowe has immortalised the faith.
full Of this class, in her little book, s.The May
Aower," in the story, (Which is the Liberal
Man?" Two students of equal talent and
standing in college meet, after years Of sepa.
ration, ono - poor - ever, the other rich and
distinguished. The last, lawyer, lives boun-
tifully and gives bountifully; the FIRST has given
himself, % minister, and lives Q life Of pri-
walton and usefulness. Which 10 the liberal
man? Its said that this year the supplies
sent to our home missionaries are increasing.
The war has, in many cases still further cut
down thsirlresources, while some of them have
been forced to leave their homes, and have gone
Is chaplains with the army. Now, when our
patriotic women have been working for the
soldiers, and have sent OF the boxes, they turn
and say, "Now W are working, We can gather
. missionary supply; here are some things that
would not do for the soldiers." So box is
packed and goes to Iowa or Wisconsin or Kan
sas, to make glad the hearts there with the evi-