The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1876-12-01
CharifY.-A Bad MInter.

The fact that thousands of working
people have been out of employment
! through the summer tells plainly what
this winter has in store for them and
those dependent upon them. Many
who had by industry and economy been
only partly able to meet the wants of for
mer years will find the coming months to
be too much for them, and for the first
time in life they will face the monster
called "want." 1t is a horrible thing to
be without clothes and fire and food.
1t is terrible when one must feel this
calamity for self alone. but infinitely
more terrible when one must feel it tor
the group of the loved ones at home.
The details of the case need not be
made out. How to hel lp modify the evil,
should be the inquiry of all and each.
There is only one method by which the
distress about to come can be abated,
and that method is summed up in the
word benevolence." Prayer to heaven
will not feed and clothe and warm the
poor, but benevolence, the love of
man, will meet these coming dark
days and extract from them half their
sorrow.
But this benevolence must follow some
method, and must assume many differ
ent shapes, or it will be inadequate or
badly directed. One Of its first moves
might be this: The man of money
might resolve to carry on his public
works, his building, or his digging, or his
industry of any kind TO the end that he
NAV furnish work for some who seek
work. Works which might possibly be
postponed year should be carried on
now, that there may be work for some
body. If any family of wealth is de-
batting about papering, or painting, or
repairing, this is just the winter for the
job, for though the times are so hard, one
may not wish to pay for the work, yet
the times are so hard that TO furnish
such work is a charity, and the best
shape of charity. In the old nations war
is invented to employ the idle and to kill
off any excess of population. but in this
country war is not pursuit, and popu-
latioa is not to be lessened by constant
slaughter. Industry is the solution of
of our troubles, and hence in such a
crisis as is now coming, men Of capital
and of human feelings should take
special care to furnish as much as posi-
bic of labor.
Next to such a mitigation of the evil
should come an economy as To self, that
there may be something in the pocket
for the deserving poor. The old Hebrew
law forbade the farmer from gathering
his sheaves with the most scrupulous
care. A sheaf must be forgotten here
and there, so that the Ruths might not
gleen in vain. Also a few figs must be
| left on the tree, few punches of grapes
on the vine. This nineteenth century
ought to surpass the charity of the Mo
saic age, and hence each citizen in cir
cumstances at all t0lerable should be
practiDg an economy that will leave
something in his purse for the widow
and the fatherless."
A rash giving away of money or good;
may work an injury. 1t may feed the
idle or make idler5 out of persons who
once toiled hard for support. Hence
any one expecting to help any of his fel
lows to weather the storm of this year
should seek to become personally ac
quainted with the person or family he Ii
to aid. Money and food given at tht
door to beggars is kindness most reck
lessly bestowed. The-.only safe way is t.
find the family that needs this food o
the clothes, or the ten cents, and then th'
cold victuals will 60 forth each day as ;
blessing.