Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-04-06
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
SATURDAY, APRIL 1. 1871.
The ministry of sympathy.


How manifold arc the evils to which
man is exposed in making the pilgrimage
Of life2 How much room and how much
need for the exercise of love and charity
for the manifestation in action OF that
sympathy which is SO often uttered in
words2 Wheresoever we turn the evil
dence is abundant of the temptations
weaknesses, trials misfortunes, accidents,
diseases, wants and SORROWS and multi
piled evils Of all kinds to which our fell
bowman is exposed.
We see neighbor who has been over
whelmed by some sudden and UNLOCKED
for revolution in his business. Every
thing has been swept away into the vortex
of ruin. All the fruits Of long and weary
wears of toll and enterprise have been lost
by single blow, and he finds himself
standing face to face with poverty and
want. He is discouraged at the prospect
that lays before him. He has abandoned
all hope, and goes about the streets with
a melancholy and csre-worn face, or sits
at home, lonely and silent with crushed
heart. When his name and misfortunes
are mentioned. the world pities him, and
many regret that he should be 80 utterly
discouraged and helpless. Some express
their convictions very coolly that he will
soon sink to the grave, or perhaps, which
Is worse, be will abandon himself to the
overpowering cup Of intemperance and
thus finish the work Of ruin. They pity.
and yet with all this word pity on their
lips, they go their way as careless and
heartless as If their brothers sorrows
were unknown to them. And perhaps
the next Sabbath they 60 to church and
listen to a sermon and loudly praise it,,
from that great command of a great sou),
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as myself"
Our fellow-man is exposed also to bodi-
ly pains and wants. He suffers for bread,
raiment and shelter He has known what
il is to be deprived of healthful food, COM
Portable clothing, a cheerful dwelling, pure
air and the pleasant light of the sun.
Hundreds and thousands are destitute of
these, wholly or in part, and these suffer-
ers are not in the great cities, not
In Paris, not in Ireland, not in Lon.
don only, but here all about us, along our
daily paths, within sound Of our voices,
within reach Of our hand.
Diseases come to our neighbor in many
shapes and with their awful shadows
around him. With their iron and crush
ing grasp upon him, he is stretched upon
the bed of suffering, and oftimes of agony,
for long periods, broken in body and
spirit, and of the, world forsaken and for
gotten. The great tide of life and bust.
ness and selfshness rolls on by him the
multitude throng the streets; the mani.
fold voices of his fellowmen fill the air
around him but few care to step aside
from the highway of business or pleasure,
sit with him or speak pleasant words OF
cheer and so tighten the long, leaden.
winged days and nights that pass by 80
heavily.
Such are the sorrows, woes and wants
which meet us in all the walks of life !;
and such to great extent the indiffer-
ence with which they are regarded. Shall
not each one of us do something to re-
move or lessen these evils. Shall not
somethi-s hn iona IN bring men into q
better knowledge of the relations existing
between them, and into more perfect
obedience to the great law of human
brotherhood and love. Let each one
forthwith cast about to give an answer,
for this is what is needed. 1t is ,oo,E in.
stead of talk action in place of profes.
sion. Where there is want and suffering,
it not only pities but relieves.
~ pity you," said man of words to one
who had met misfortune by the way and
had been been suddenly reduced in the
conflict, almost to beggary. II pity you
very much" "How much" significantly
asks bystander, who had already meas
ured his pity by generous deeds. Yes
truly, hon much do you pity me ? I want
evidence of it. What ia it to me that you
sympathize with me in my grief, if you
give me no proof of it when you are
abundantly able, and suffer greatly for
want OF it? II am an hungered, your
word "pity" will not make bread for me
nor will it clothe me If am naked, nor
visit me il I am sisk, nor care for the
widow and orphans if die. am some.
what obliged to be sure that you feel
kindly and lovingly, and help to remove
the evils which are crushing me to the
earth. Right feelings are but the color OF
the rose, but right actions are the rose
itself-color, fragrance, beauty-all con.
joined.
This feeling of substantial sympathy il
pleasing trait of human character. But
in some it is suffered to lay dormant and
it's latent energies seem TO be inbound by
the gross passions of their nature. In
others it is cultivated and its virtues
brought out in bold relief, and those warm
gushing emotions of the soul freely flow
forth like the smooth deep waters of the
mighty river when brought in contact
with human suffering and woe.
The ministry of sympathy is most DO.
tent, when billow after billow comes
booming up in the mountain height OF
misfortune, misery and distress seem
ready to overwhelm us In grief and de-
spair. When the howlings of the dark
midnight passions in all their fury are
raging in wild and fearful commotion
about us, then it is that we look around
for some place where we can retire in
safety from the buffetings of an ever.
changing world-from the peltings of the
pitiless storm.
NEEDLESS PAIN.-A very sensitive ma
ture suffers needless pain, day by day