The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1871-12-16
Communicated.

among your readers IN Denai OF tne suffer-
ers of Chicago and the North West Why
is it 1t cannot be that they are less tender
of heart than others who have given so gener-
ously perhaps they have not had the matter
50 presented to them that they realize the need
of help, or. can it be as | have heard asserted
that "Country people sleep away their lives,
utterly oblivious of everything but the price of
potatoes, hay and corn at certain seasons of the
year, after disposing of which they relapse into
delicious semi-unconscious condition from
which they awaken, in time only, for harvest
and hog killing" This is told to me seriously
as the normal condition of Maryland farmer,
his wife drearily toiling from years end to
years end in kitchen or nursery, his children
uneducated, and the thousand and one means
of useful entertainment which find their way
into the homes of the educated and refined ut
terly unknown to them and being facts con-
cerning their existence it is actually offered as
an excuse for their failure to respond to your
several eloquent appeals to "help Chicago"
Again some one says who has given his five or
ten dollars out of his thousands, "Shall we
never have done with Chicago? Look at the
money and clothing already sent p For such
l have made the following extracts from letters
in my possession from personal friends in no
wise connected with any general or special re-
lief but working simply as friends and neigh
bors among the suffering which is all about
them. The first. under date so recent as Nov.
4th in acknow wledgement of box of second
hand clothing writes: 81 cannot tell you how
glad we were to receive them, and how happy
eight or nine families were made by share OF
the contents. | wish you could go with US to
distribute. / know you would feel for the poor
sufferers and share in the happiness it gives
them to have little to keep them warm there
are so many who will not ask for relief, that
are suffering euen for something to eat, and un-
less it is carried to them would rather starve
than ask for it. But ain not surprised al this
for when you see the rabble that are clamoring g
at the doors of the different committees, l am
sure no refined person could bear to join them
and then too often they are received with harsh
words and suspicious looks. To lie called an
iInposter will quell sometimes the stoutest
heart 1t makes us SO glad to have little
here to give out privately, to such as these, who
htUe lost everything. John, (her husband) has
three men with their families entirely burnt out,
we have given them children's clothing and
warm hannels from your packages. Thank
Mrs. S. u Mrs. B. for the infants clothing we
gave some of them to q nice woman whose
husband is dying of consumption and has been
i'll for six weeks. She, poor woman, ha6 made
no provision for her sorrowful future; the tears
ran down the fathers cheeks when l told the
little daughter, two years old, who was barefoot
ed, that had pair of warm shoes for her. He
said they had always been comfortable before /;
they had now lost almost everything. The first
lot we gave to school teacher. She escaped
from the flames, with only her mtght-goUA and
all the clothes she had on were borrowed p
Again she says-"send us what you can, and
since we have escaped the fire; tho Us busi-
ess is utterly gone for the present, we can do
something for others less fortunate-by dis
trbuting your gifts. Lou goes to the Bishops
church everyday where they cothe and feed
thousands 1t is weary work from 9 in the
morning to at night. 1t would make your
heart bleed to see many of these people, chill
dren of affluence and atleast comparative ease,
without either home or money. Take more
time with your next box, but send US what you
can-cast off clothing which looks worn, but
is still capable of impartiug warmth and com
fort blankets and quilts are still needed tits so
cold here mems, women's and children's cloth
ing is what we need most and if only one or
Two garments from each, it will greatly mel lp in
this time OF need" We read of the amount
sent, which certainly seems enough for every
want but private letters tell heart rendng
stories of want and desolation which the public
fund fails to relieve. DR.. S. an old resident of
Baltimore but more recently practising physi-
elan of Chicago, writes begging assistance for
those Immediately under his care saying "My
intercourse with my patients makes it possible
fer me to help p many who are struggling brave
ly to bear up under their heavy misfortunes,
But whom the coming Winter must find suffer-
ing for many of the barest necessities of life.
To make their wants known in usual places of
relief is only to subject themselves to the added
misery of insult and neglect, so many apply
who are unworthy or more boldly clamourous
in their demands, that those, disbursing public
funds are obliged to be very severe, and hedge
themselves in, by all manner of precautions,
against impositions. For instance. found one
of my patients, a poor Welsh woman, in the
or IF fha hur of hor hoh ha fxuo
weeks old, and went with her and made ap-
plication at the Relief Associs ton for aid but
it was days before she got anything, and then
only straw sack and one blanket for her
self and child. Again another poor woman,
expecting daily to be brought to a sorrowful
illness, besought them for a bed, going every
day for two weeks until worn out and well
nigh crazed she gave birth, in the midst of the
crowd, to her child then, of course, her wants
were attended to. These are only instances.
| could tell you many more, but know you do
not need them to awaken sympathy in these
poor creatures. You cannot send amiss; send
all you can-any thing. everything and may
God bless your efforts"
Another friend writes "You ask ohat can
we send "-why, blessyou! everything-noth
ing can come amiss from cooking stove to a
hair pin. Some, indeed many of our folks will
be on their feet again very soon, but many
neuer. Think of the little children and invalids,
the women who are striving so bravely to help
and yet have not so much as change of linen
or needle and thread with which to darn the
rent in the borrowed garment with which they
have shut out the searching mind p
Shall tax your space and time, my dear
/. Union by more If this will not waken some
slumbering sympathy all effort is in vain. Do
not let your readers urge "This was true last
month it is over now r tits notover Only last
Saturday night letter from DIR. S. thanking
us for couple of boxes, SENT through US, from
the good women of st. Michaels, Nd, urged US
not to relax our efforts in their behalf and say
ing "as the Winter advances the sorrow and
desolation seems to multiply in spite of all the
help we can muster"
Now, friends, mothers, sisters and wives,
fathers, husbands and brothers, of your abun-
dance, or your little can you not spare 1.-THE
lyon have your poor al, home ?" we know it
SO have we-but we krow from blessed ex
perience, that an ''earnest wtU makes an open
qoayr Heaven bless your Efforts for surely
YOU will do something "In Union there is
strength" Join yourselves heart and hand
make sewing circles, calico parties, tableaux,
charades, pillow-case parties, tea parties and
oyster suppers; have a concert or private
Observation-Disclosures ought to succeed in
any of these-and if, as some one has told US,
Mt. Washington young folks made with
musical entertainment thirty dollars, Towson-
town could at least double it. Donot be afraid
of doing too much-do aH that you can and re-
member" He who giveth quickly gives twice" :"
PHGNIx.