The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1876-12-28

rations for the approaching holt
days are going on in the usual way.
There are many beautiful lots of
holiday trinkets displayed in the
city, which almost turn the heads
of grown-up people. Even your
correspondent who has less use for
such things than anybody else in
the world, has found a sort of sat
isfaction in taking a sly glance at
some Of them. 1t is not strange,
therefore, that the little darlings
should gaze upon them with admi-
ration that amounts to wonder and
awe. 1t is at such a time as this
that your correspondent most feels
his want of great riches. There is
not a good little girl or boy in this
land that should not have ever so
many nice things this Christmas if
he had his way ABOUT it. But Kris
Kringle will be along in due time,
and will doubtless bless all the little
ones with such things as are best
for them.
Most if not all of the Churches
of the city are preparing Christmas
trees, and the Sunday-school chill
dren are in high glee.
This is all very well-indeed, it
is praiseworthy, and points to hearts
that beat with benevolent impulses
but there is yet a better work
than this. There is real distress to
relieve, real SORROW to assuage, real
poverty to help. At this season Of
the year, and especially at time
like this, while the neces sity for re-
trenchment lessons the demand for
labor, the wants of the poor must
press with urgency upon every gen
erous heart. 1t would indeed be a
sad day for humanity were the ave
nues of pity so nearly closed that
we could coolly contemplate the
distress of poverty aud feel no ca
ger impulse to relieve it.
There are many poor people in
this city who at night have no idea
whence the breakfast of the next
morning will come. Sometimes it
does not come at all. Our charita-
BILE societies are bestirring them
selves. but they do not often reach
those who suffer most. The real
sufferer is straining every nerve 70
obtain work, and enduring in silence
the results of repeated failures, in
stead of making appeals for help.
AS a general thing, those who beg
are not the real sufferers. They
want to eat, but not to work. Be
nevolent impulses, like all others,
need to be under the guidance of
judgment, in order to work out
their results. Time, thought and
judgment are needed quite as much
as money, and we can not suffi-
GENTLY honor those who freely give
their energies to the work of inves-
tigation and judiclous relief.
A good many couples have en-
barked upon the sea OF matrimony
in this city since cold weather set
in. 1t is now quite fashionable to
have the ceremony performed at
church, and there have been few
successive days of late that did not
witness a marriage at one or an
other of our churches. And I OBJ
serve that there has been a goodly
number of marriages in your town
and county since the marrying sea
son opened, and that your columns
have contained much on this highly
important and never uninteresting
subject. What you have said about
marriage between persons of limit
able means, or no means at all, suits
my notions exactly; and you are
aware that I have had considerable
experience in this very thing. Now,
1 do not wish to be understood as
intimating that poor folks should
not marry; Cor in that case some of
my dearest friends and my humble
self would be left completely "out
in the cold'' if our better parts
should ever take a notion to divorce
themselves from us, which they
may do, you know, and divorces
can be had now for the mere ask.
ing.
Wealth and poverty, especially il
considered in connection with liv.
ing, are terms which have different
meanings. In short, it is owing tC
how one has been raised. A man
who has been ali his life in the en-
ljoyment of every luxury would con
slider himself very poor if compelled
to live upon two thousand dollars {
year. while another, who has littl'
or no knowledge of those things
would think himself most fortanat,
if he could be assured of half tha
sum. When a poor young mar
learns to practice the virtues by
which fortunes are made-frugalitN
and self-denial-other things beins
equal, he is a proper subject foi
matrimony, and if he announce
himself as a candidate for the Office
of husband, he should not b,
counted OUT by the returning
board of ladies. He may be re
garded as Ga good catch" for am
sensible girl.
Between young people who hav'
been taught from childhood how Il
keep their desires within the bound