The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-09-26
ABOUT THE BEGaAR.

whether 1t Is altogether the correct thing
to bestow CONCEALED stare upon the thin
white, sad face, which, with its deep burrows
of privation, its hope deserted eye its liyid
twitching lips, and its tear-blurred checks,
looms up in our path; whether VIC shall be
fulfilling high moral duty if we stride sternly
by the beseeching figure, with our noses as ele-
waited as il is possible for these appendages
ever to become; and, with dilated nostrils,
snuffng rare and pure air, and our fingers
fnmbling the currency in our pockets; whether
our bed will be any softer, and our sleep any
sweeter, and our dreams any brighter or bet
ter, If we answer the eager petition, "a penny,
please, to buy some bread" with grufT
exhortation to 'clear out" threat Of police,
or with desire TO be informed why the
squalid creature does not apply to the proper
persons, or get to work, or go TO the aims
house, or do SometbiRa-these are questions
which we must decide for ourselves.
Now, for our part, while we are fully con-
scious OF the gigantic impositions practsed
upon the community, and are well aware of
the dexterous means employed by numerous
fellow-citzens to bring about a touching hol
lowness Of their cheeks and tear-starting
disparity in the length of their legs, and to
overspread their countenances with faintness,
and despair, and desolation; while we have
occasionally heard of the discovery of CRG-
SEAN Opulence on the part of slgncious
seedy men and women; while il is as clear as
crystal, OF "a bell, or a book, or anything else
that is famously free from Obscurity, to our
mind, that "you can never know who to
believe--these beggars are such liars;' yet,
in lace of all this mass of reason why we
ought not and should not dispense aims at
random, there is fascination in the habit we
are hardly able to withstand.
The wretch before us looks very miserable
anyhow. With the same amount of apparel
ofthe same quality on our back, and the same
amount OF food Ofthe same quality in stomach,
we can readily believe that our sensations
would not be precisely pleasurable. IT, by
the extremely simple act Of pulling con-
temptible little coin from out our pocket, and
crossing the beggar's palm with it, we ira
diate the hapless life with joyand hope in ever
so small measure, we find it hard to believe
| that God and the angels are frowning on us
from the holy place above. And 1t has oc-
cured to us, in moments of surliness, that
perhaps our fellow-men who are so severe on
this system of encouraging "beggary and pau
perism," who get into rage whenever they
hear knock at the back-gate, and who are
forever prating of systematic benelicence,"
don't do much, financially speaking, for their
pet hobby.
Perchance they don't send checks Tor good
round sums to the various benevolent sOcie-
ties. 1t may be that extensive supplies OF
food and fuel are not contributed by them to
such praiseworthy institutions. Would we
be certain TO come across them in the swarm
ing, noisome alleys, watching by the fever
stricken on the filthy pallet, and cooling
his hot head, cheering the disconsOlate,
feeding the hungry, clothing the naked,
reclaiming the vicious, and spanning each
mirksome shanty with the rainbow OF
hope? If not, they have no business
at all TO denOunce us Tor giving the
beggar a cent, or three cents, or Q shilling.
We find, in an ancient book which is falling
sadly into disuse, the story of au unfortunate
fellow who lay in suffering b. the wayside
The priest took to the other side, aud went
straight along. The Levite had a look at
the unfortunate, but renecting that any
assistance he might offer would just be an
encouragement to others TO get wounded and
be the Samaritan-the good Samaritan-wh0
helped the fallen 10 his feet, and sent him on
his way at last rejoicing?