Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-04-03
Vol. XIX. Whole No. GAG. No. ID.
God Helps Those. Etc.


i suppose we ought to expect poor
people to be cantankerous, for the fact
of proverty in country like this is :.
presumption of defect. The land is
broad, food is plentiful, labor scantv
and high, government Just and almost
impalpable. What doth hinder anv man
from earning his own living? Illness
may come sudden calamity NAV fall.
Against these even every energy NAV be
powerless; but, apart from this, itisto be
assumed that he who fails, does so because
he lacks wisdom, and not opportunity.
And the same weakness which prevent
ed him from grasping the opportunity
prevents him from keeping hold OF it
after it is put in his hand. Once in a
while, once in a great while, timely
succor avails in moment of temporary
weakness or averts the consequence OF a
mistake, and the man starts ahead at Il
swinging pace. But ottcner the rcsutc
seem to indicate that it i Of very litl-
use to help poor people who cannot held
themselves. The kingdom of paupcriSm
is within them. The very cause that
made them poor keep them poor. 1t j.
not that society bears down hard npom
them. 1t is that they are eself-indulgent
1t YOU see a widow and five childtcu
/ shlvcring over few cmbers you pity
them, and you must send them coal:
but you cannot help feeling II wrathtu
contempt at knowing that they all went
To the photographers Yesterday and had
their pictures taken, after buying Il
couple of twenty-five cent brooches, on
the way, to adorn themselves withal.
The very things that you yourself would
hesitate to do, on account of the expense
people who are partially dependent ON
your charity will do without hesitation.
Where you will practice a natural,
cheerful, unthinking self-denial, they
will practice an equally cheerful and un-
thinking seli-iudulgence. The remnant,
OF bread that you dry in the oven and
save for future use they throw away.
The tragmentary vcst-slccve that YOU
fashion into u ilat-iron holder they put
into the rag-bag and buy cloth for their
holders. Where YOU rise at . they lie
till hali-past /. Where YOU walk, thcy
ride. Where you pray and watch and
strive to do YOUR work throughly, they
are content with anything that will an
>wcr. That il the reason why people
are poor. In this country any man who
i strong and willing to work can sup
port himself and all the family he ought
to have.
Thi, i not \ sentimental or pictures.
que view to take OF poverty, bur, 80 II:
II. my observation goes, it j. Il true one.
| have been far ottcner surprised TO ,cc
how the will to work triumph, over OBJ
,taclce, then | have TO see now obstacle,
triumph over the Will to work. Right
ami lett are women with infant children.
Incapable, invalid or di,sipatcd hu,-
bands, surmountlng himdranccs and earn
lmS not only a hving, bnt competence,
by sheer pluck, or, II that |, not an adj
hi>-loit WoFd, VIII. / see them with
I"dIHtFcht hcalth, out hlrdE >ril-rc!-
alrr ana crt'iltabIe prdc, By steady iu-
u'l,tfE' BUY ih9 ana building houses,
Il'lh4 mortgages, growing gradually
ana surely INTO prominent and permnr-
cht feHPcct"Hlhtl White others, who
started WIN apparent equal or superior
advantages i'iltf' ialI' simply from IN
doIrhcr or ieebirhrNN "i purpose. W.
pity them, but We also de>pI-c them.
Every healthy mlnd must dc-pI,r thr
trat which permit, Il man or woman /,
prefer lauoble ease to a adlGnllici though
hardly earned independence; which
permits the day laborer to live bouuu-
fully on to-day' wages, without layiug
by amy store Tor the morrow, on VIII ch
he cannot work. why, even the beasts
OF the field know better than that.