Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-12-18
LEAF IRON LIFE.

The simple facts recorded in this
story occurred in q city not many
miles from here. Il would be impOs-
sible for such case to happen in
Chicago. We are the personificatlOn
of Charity. We are Angels, and this
is Paradise! Therefore, / wish il dis
tinctly understood that / write Of q
'.ritiful case" as the papers called it,
which came under my notice in q dis
tant city, years ago.
As a rule, physicians are the most
charitable Of men. They may not
give fortunes away in aims but their
time, which 10 them is money, is
freely given to the suffering, in more
cases than one might suppose, with
out money and without price" II
was upon freezing cold night that a
young phys clan stepped into the
warm, well-lighted Office Of a mer-
chant prince. The doctor was poor
and needy; his coat was worn and
Ihreadbare, and furnished but little
protection against the cold Of the sea
son, because he labcred among the
were unable to pay for il.
The merchant was q wealthy ,pious,
'eminently respectable" member of
society. He was the mainstay of a
church, the promoter of charitable
schemes, and a subscriber to alt char
ities-whieh were backed by inf1u
enee, or conferred distinction upon
the giver. The world at large honor
ed his name; but the men in his en-
plOy were wont to smile mysteriOusly
when his charities were mentioned in
their hearing, and one Of them was
once heard to remark that be "never
knew man so well named" Now,
strange to say, this model mans name
wa Cantter.
So, into Mr.. Cantter's Office the
young physician walked with some
tiepidation but, being one Of the
would be heard, for he was on a beg
ging expedition not for himself-he
would rather have died than beg-but
for a poor boy who lay dying in
tenement house in Dead Mans row
lay dying of starvation. It was too
late to save his life-rhat the doctor
knew; but he hoped to raise sufficient
money to make the boy comfortable
for the remnant of life left him. As
he opened the door of the counting
room, he saw Mr.. Cantter standing
before the glowing grate-fire, deelaim-
ing nobly upon the beauties OF true
charity to his book-keeper, who, being
hard pushed to live upon the pittanee
paid HIM by his employer, was not as
enthusiastic as his employer would
have had him.
and has not charity, it profit
eth him nothing,n said Mr.. Cantter,
in q loud tone of voice, as the door
and the thought flashed
through his mind that perhaps it was
the pastor of his church. The doctor
entered, and suddenly the flood of
elOquenee which Mr.. Cantter was
pouring out upon the unresisting
clerk was hushed, for he knew the
doctor, and knew also that he was
about to ask for money, and his hands
came from behind his back, went into
his pockets and remained there. The
doctor, by way of b, ginning, re-
marked upon the severity Of the
weather.
"Yes,n said Mr.. Cantter, "God help
the pOOrw
The bookkeeper, bending over the
ledger, smiled to himself, but said
The doctor hardly liked theexpres-
sion upon the merchants face, and
the oily unction with which these
words rolled from his mouth, but
resolutely dashed at his subject. He
depicted the sufferings of the dwellers
in Dead Mafi's row; the tumble down
houses, admitting the wind and snow
at every corner; the famine which
in them; and then, excited
by the troubles he had witnessed, he
TO the merchant to help
those who were unable to help them
selves.
Warmth usually begets warmth,
and il is therefore singular, but not
less true, that as the doctor warmed
Mr.. Cantter cooled, and when he had
speaking that gentleman
said:
81 can do nothing for you. I am a
subscriber to the Magdalens' Home,
the Esculapius Hospital, the Seamen's
Refuge, the North Pole Missions, the
~
But this is-" ....
Tract Societies." continued Mr..
calmly ignoring the doctor,
land many other charities. / find
my time entirely taken up, and l can
neither spare time nor money to aid
vagabond who may be deceiving you
There can be no deception in star
..-. ....- -.a....
"Well, may be not; but I might be
placing premium on dishonesty and
l hope to aid worthy objects"
"All worthy, no doubt; but this IL
q case of such utter wretchedness. 4
boy, little morsel Of q child, dying
for want of food, - pleaded the doctor.
az dare say.n said Mr.. Cahtter; but
to be effective, must be well
You must come to our