The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-12-15
Fairs for Charitable Purposes

Fairs for CAar7ta5Ie RHf poses.
The Fair season. with all its bewildering
attractions and its expensive delights, has
already made a brilliant commene cement IN
several of our large cities. People may con-
tend as long aud earnestly as they will that
when anything is to be contributed TO assist
q good cause, it should be free gift, with
out even a partial equivalent in the shape of
some fancy article or other, but the fact re-
mains that Fairs popular, and that mon
ey in large amounts can thus be more readi-
" raised than by any other agency. There
seems to be some exciting influence which
men exercise over each ether when Assem- bled
in large numbers, which prompts to commit
acts and incur expenses which they would
otherwise shun. This excitement is very
evident at auction sales, and is also to be
seen at fairs and baAars. Thus, susccpti-
BILE young men and doting husbands often
find that even a single visit to fair becomes
a costly luxury but then they have good
time, with no end Of fun and excitement
and must ex pect TO pay for the music. They
know too that what las gone from their
pockets will find its way into the treasury
of some laudable association, aud perhaps do
more good there than if it had been expend-
ed for soIGe other personal gratifcation.-
which are in vogue on these occasions, many
good people continue to set their faces stead
1astly against all such methods of raising
money. While we sympathize with those
who entertain such views. yet if it became
necessary for us to raise large sum of mon
ey for charitable purpose, we should t
object to the assistance of a fair on a mod
fed scale at least. 1t is hard matter t. =
fuse the solicitations Of some fair sai ieswomGn
even if the articles offered are utterly value
less, and have not, moreover, even the value
of attTactiveness. Yet it is not an easy mat
ter to Worm money out Of a hard calculating
business man or an uufeeIing worldly woman
The bewitchIng eyes and the charming man
.ners of some lady friend may seduce you
into investing rather too heavily in flowers
and other beautiful but fading commodities
Still it is better to bleed a little in this way
than to have 10 call a dozen or more times
on some wealthy person who could give d
thousand and never feel it, to obtain only Il
dollar or two, given most gfudgjugly, or
perhaps cool rebuff and Hat REFUSAL
Private contributions did much to assist the
sick and wounded in our war. but in most
sections the largest amounts came from the
proceeds of fairs. Who that attended them
will ever forget the grand Sanitary Commits
- Il
all their varied agencies for obtaining FUNDS
for the good cause? These fairs were un-
doubteGly successes. and really enjoyable
exhibitions. SO too have been the fairs re-
Gently given in New York. on behalf of the
German and French wounded, for the Found
ling Asylum, and numerous other charities
Everything that taste and skill can suggest
Is con- nblned on these occasions to show Of
the commodities to the best advantage, and
lovely women and society misses lay aside
for the nouce their stateliness and p1im de
corumr and play the part Of agreeable shop
keepers.
Let us drop in at one Of these fairs for a
moment. What more beautiful sight is there
than the fowcr-stand at one Of these lar2e
fairs A bcvy Of pretty girls, neatly aud
somewhat uniformly dressed, stand beliud
the tables upon which the flowers are dis
played. How one IS drawn toward that
charmed spot The construction Of the floral
temple must be xamiued-then, of course,
the flowers are TO 5e admired-so we natu-
rally fall into a conversation with one of the
floral goddesses. Presently, we have lotered
so loug chatting that we must purchase
bunch of flowers for our wife, b1quet for
our sweetheart, or lite nosegay for oLr
bachelor button-hole Having completed
Il I
further delay, and drift away with the throng.
As we lounge along, we notice, in turn, he
various other stands with their show of nee
dlewor% of divers patterns and materials,
and the endless variety of articles Of luxury,
taste. and convenience, all offered by such
attractive sellers that we forget the Gree Of
the tlower-stand. We buy something else
of course, take chances and draw bauks in
richly dressed dolls, afghaus, canary birds,
and other such desirable property; we spend
all cur loose cash, and more toe. Bus there
is an end Of all things, aud we fiually Get
out of the fair, empty il pocket, but loaded
with enough piuaGcr TO set up small ba-
Zaar on our account.
Have we not described the experience Of
hundreds of the steIner sex who frequent
fairs But who will say they did rot make
n good Investment after ali The money
went for good cause, that is certain, and
they spent one or more evenings very plea
sanity. l. the chance to see so many lovely
women to 60 for nothing? No, perish the
thought! So long as there is any true love
of art in our souls, let US gaze on natures
beauties with full as much admiration as
upon its choicest counterfeit. Fairs have
their draw backs, doubtless, but so long as
they present so many attractions ard do SO
much good, we must give them our approval
IN spite Of ourselves, since e never vet cr-
tered ore without spending twice the amount
originally agreed upon Hearth and Home. /