The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-02-13
Ous CHARITIES. She died ou Thurs.

OUR CHARIHIEs She died ou Thurs.
day hight. and on Friday afternoon
she was carried from the fourth story
back OF cheap tenement house in q
stained pine ooflo. Il must have been a
relief to die, for, after death there is at
least NO hunger; and, sojt, ,uonid have
besns bat for the two children who
'ls2ned un her as on reed that breaks
beneath the weight. Naturally, she
waa, anxious for them. aud .it is not
stIapge that. while she lay in her mus
lin shroud. the four strapgers besides
thu clergyman who attended her fune-
raj remarked lingering, cure-worn
expression, as though tho last sleep,
which is baId to smooth ont all wrin-
ki.s, had been powerless to efface her
soiicitude. It was hard to leave those
little ones to the uncertain charity of u
tcaie world, but doubtless the sisters
who supplied the slender wants OF the
invalid will SEQ 10 il that they have
sotne roof to cover them and clnthiup
to keep them from the pinching cold.
Obe of thn most beautiful results of
an advanced civilization is tho dis
peusation Of charity. A practical re-
liSlon that sees u brother or a sister n
every sufferer aud recognizes the claim
nf tho weak upon the strong is Que of
the fiuest illustrations. whiie it il the
strongest proof, Of the divine origin
of rove!atiou. The religion which CON
sivts OF regular anh punciual ut!end.
ance upon the services Of the church
ID doubtless valuable. The Sabbath,
with its rest and qaiet. IT'S sleeping
cummerce aud Its closed doors aud
buried windows. is au Invaluable oon
servator Of the public morals. But
that other kind Of religion which is
thu embod,ment of obligations and
duties. which. like loadstone, draws
the gold of the rich toward the cheer
less hesrths and empty larders of the
poor. contains All element which works
like magic on the general health of the
community. The Christianity OF
creed is we'll. but that Of noble
iife IL the true evangel that charms
tho uullcst ear with its refrain,
Peace ON earth, good will to men,"
The story goes that she had seen bet
ter days. She could hardly have seen
worse. Only ten years ago she WAS
the mistress Of freestoue front, nd
nired for her grace and beauty, and
courted for her wealth. Her husband
was q successful dealer in stocks.
When the war broke out he had little
or nothing. When Lac gave hts sword
TO the victor he counted his wealth by
millions. and WAS generous to fault.
But who can tell what changes may 90
cur in the mercantile life of New York
In the course Of a few years? We are
like q huge cauidfon ,of wster kept ut
the bubbiing. boiling point all the
time. Tue huIryjpg. drops which are
ut the bottom to-daS rise to the top to-
morrow. while lhoae which to. day
fondly dream that t6Sy are permanent
y secure at the top. suddenly bsgiu to
sink, and do not rest until they touch
the bottom. So this mans hundreds
Of thousands faded away into mere
thousands, and his thousands, as
though saturated with the domoniac
spirit Of i'll luck, became paitry ham
dreds, which melted like snowa4kes
when they fall on the river. He could
cot endure the shook and his end
was chronicled in an obscure
corner of tue daily paper under
the heading ''PAinfnl Suicide"
Tue mother Was horror-struck as sue
folded her babes to her bosom aud
stared the world in the face. The old
Acqunintances? They were M though
they had never been. They futtered
past her on tho December side wolk
with their silks and furs, bot they
neither knew her nor cared to remem.
ber her. She had dropped from "the
set. aud that was enough. She sewed
with bleeding fingers and broken
heart, aud somehow the tears unbid-
len fell on her pale cheeks as size
thought of tue past aud sighed ut the
frailty OF human friendship. She
could just pay the rent OF two dlugy
rooms on tho fourth story back in
dark and un unwholesome alley by work
ing fourteen hours day. But, un-
fortunately, poor people have nervous
systems, ami fourteen hours work,
with insufficient food aud broken res,
brought her to the edge Of the grave.
just then the friendly knock OF charity
was heard, tho few wants of tie
broken hearted we're supplied, and,
with last. loug, agonized look-a
look and prayer in one-she was
lifted out Of her rags and out OF the
pestilence of that dark alley into
Heaven. What q changel This is but
single illustration of the vicissitudes
and the sadness which are occurring
every duy. aud which are inevitably