The New York herald., 1871-12-24

civil government.
"The Poor You Have Always with You.p
When the thermometer falls below zero.
when the beautiful snow is knee-deep in the
roadway, and still falling, the rich and the
well-to-do peep from their warm and COM
Portable domiciles out on the forms hurrying to
and fro. Their eyes rest with glitter on the
gayly caparisoned sleigh horses, with their
jingling, silvery bells and fur-wrapped load,
gliding along at lightning speed. Sleigh sue
ceeds sleigh, and the Standardization be-
comes monotonous and the eye turns
away to enjoy the tranquil luxury
Of the salon within. Now, fair
young lady Of the costly robe and
maiden heart; good, prudent mother Of the
world or you. young Cresus Of our ''golden
youth !" or you, stout paterfamilias, Of solid
wealth and kindly soul, before you turn your
eyes from the enlivening scene without, try II
you cannot see other forms than those who
revel In the carnival of snow.
Ill clad and shivering, they hurry along with
misery on their faces despair at their hearts
and the weird brightness Of hunger In their
eyes. What oynicism is conveyed to them in
the jingling Of the grelots, In the ringing laugh
of the driver, In tho prancing Of the glossy,
well-fed steeds that pass them as in scorn Of
their poverty! Think, then, that they are but
units who stand for thousands In this
great Gotham Of ours. Follow them, with us.
of the noisy thoroughfare, slipping and
stumbling over the snow, into the byways Of
the city. Stand before the tenament house,
with its hundred families, where that shiver-
ing, storm-beaten form enters and climbs the
rickety stairs. See that man enter his mar.
row, squalid, fireless room, where an ill-clad,
fearful wife has been vainly trying to stop tho
clamor Of the little ones for bread with the
promise that they shall have some "when
father comes home" He knows that they have
been wailing for food, and the bitterness of the
thought that he has nothing for them chokes
his voice in his throat, and he sits down to
think-of what? It is not his fault. His
miserable pittance Of wages made it impossible
to save cent when the sun was
shining; now that the bitter wind
has frozen up his chance of toll, and the snow
has laid its winding sheet over 1t, he finds
himself and his little ones freless and food
less and still he thinks. How the honest
heart struggles between the thought of going
forth to steal or staying home to die we can
tell only when man is dragged to prison for
some desperate theft, or q woman and child
or two are found dead of hunger and cold In
the place miscalled their home.
This is not fancy, fair ladies and gallant
gentlemen. 1t has happened before and 10
happening now, while yon, forgetful rather
than needless Of the groan from that dungeon
or the dying cry from that miserable room,
pass from your luxurious parlors to the bril-
liant sale manger.
Think of 1t, then, and do not pause before
you scatter something from your goodly store
to tighten the woes of the all but vanquished
In the struggle for life. How much moro
serene your joy, when you can see the wild
light of famine replaced in fellow human
beings face by the smile of gratitude, and the
terrible temptation to crime removed Our
Saviour, in the sublime pity of His heart,
when on this world, loved the poor, and win
not ye, o Christians, follow in the humble steps
of Christ?
Generous, indeed, has New York shown
itself in such times; but seldom before was
there such need Of charity as now. An
early and severe winter has placed
it's icy manacles on the wrists OF
labor, and the misery and suffering which
must follow are almost incalculable.
There is need Of fuel, need Of food, and .
glance around will tell what need there is Of
clothing. The poor do not trouble themselves
about the fashions. The coat that Dives would
not wear for worlds will be as robe of royal
purple to Lazarus at his door. Give 1t to
Lazarus. The fuel that few dollars would
buy will keep the blood warm in . whole
family for winter. The price of case Of
wine will feed family for a month. 1t Is not
case for solitary effort-the rich and the mid
ding rich of our community are called on to
help all they can.
In former years politicians and others who
were suspected of venal motives gave magnif-
cent sums to the poor in special localities, and
many were deferred from making donations by
the idea that the godlike virtue was being de-
graded into vulgar trade for votes. But all
that has been changed, and those who do NOT
give will not have even that poor excuse. Be-
sides, they must remember that God alone 10
the Judge of motive in the exercise of so godly
a principle, and we must recall that, whoever
gives, It is equally boon to the poor.
Let the great heart Of Gotham beat warmly
in response to the call. The wants arc
many as your noble gifts can satisfy.
Let our rich mon and women pat
their hands deep into their pocksts
and draw forth the money that will pray to
Heaven for them through other lips than
theirs. There is, to the rightly-balancedm mind.
a fascination in deeds of this helpin0 kind q