Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-10-29
The Stricken Cities.

When Chicago's wealth took Fl GIT the re-
spouse to her need for aid was prompt no
only on this continent but 10 Europe. s.
when Boston he'd like aft lction men were
ready to give of their money at once. The
very magnitude of the loss in each Cast
seemed to incite people to acts of charity.
This year we have been happily spared
from like devastation, but in the S,utherI
States has appeared a pestilence that has
brought an amount of actual suffering faI
beyond all that followed in the wake of the
great corf4grations. From the limits of III
disease. yellow fever brings little dread sofe =
pie in the North who live outside the great cit
les that have most Immediate connection with
the South. Now and then a case IN some o.
our seaport towns frightens their inhabitants
into study of what the dread disease is like.
But it is generally considered by northern
ers as a scrt of incident to southern life to be
dealt with by - the local authorities"
1t is true that when Norfolk, Virginia, wa
desolated some years ago, the heroism dis
played by those who remained was DO greater
than the generosity OF those who from dis
lance furnished pecuniary help. This war
perhaps in part owing to NoIf,lk being far
Their north than was considered exactly righ
for the VIC ent manifestations of the plague
to come, but mainly to the fact that Their,
was realization of the desperate condition
of men and women who were victims.
This year Shreveport, an out of the way
place. was first attacked, and for weeks the
reports from there were such as to excite the
pity of all who heard of the condition
affairs. In places this pity ripened into
gifts of money that were sent and enabled
benevolent associations to furnish nurses and
all kinds of needed assistance. That these
gifts did not pour out in lavish abundance IL
owing simply to this that folks d" did not
think of it,
For weeks Memphis has been in the valley
of the shadow of death. A thriving city Of
more than half hundred thousand inhab
itants, she has been so scourged, and deserted
by all who could leave, that Dot more thar
fl tn of her population remains. Twelve
hundred have died of the fever. AS many
more are sick, or suffering from the remnant
of the disease. 1t is estimated that the Cit,
contains four hundred orphans. The car
OF the sick, and the proper protection of tb
conyalescent and those reduced to want, re
quire the outlay Of large amounts Of money
Much of the work in the hospitals is, Q
necessity, done by professional nurses, VIII
must be paid.
Surely the humanity that gave SO liber
ally two years ago, to the healthy, but home
less Inhabitants of Chicago, will not hestat
to afford like relief to more terribly afflc'
ed community. There is need of help fo
these PLACES yet. The response has bee
quick, whenever the question has bee
brought home to men So that they think f
moment what the need is. In the larg
cities, call for help for these places fuc
men, every time, whose money is Not a
gone by the panic. But it will do foil
gocd, everywhere, to aid these sufferers. an
the chance shoulint be let go by, even
places no larger than this. There need new
be any fear that there will " be too much
The surplus, whene. er there is one in SUI
giving, comes back, or goes on seeking son
further good to be done.
In New Engand we take care of our Do
In such strictly business, If humane, wa
that it is now curiosity to some Ya1k
minds why the good Samaritan didn
throw his sick man 6 on the town at ono
and have done with one who had SO little "
as to fall among thieves, or SO little streng
as to be beaten by them. Therefore all o
portunitles like this, should be improved,
that the impulse of giving shall not be Who'll
superseded by systematic " contributions.