The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-05-20
ssrnlng Star and Catholic Messenger.
Nsw oRLEAEs. SUNDAY. MAY 90, 1871
JUVENILE COLUMN.
LITTLE ACTS OF KINDNESS.
IOur Young Folk's Magazine l


LITTLE ACTS OF KINDNESS.
lour Young Folks Magazine
Few pereOns seem To be aware of th
trials to which the poor are often subiec
in order to gain the food necessary fo
bare life, to say nothing ab0pt copfori
Honest poverty 10 often afflictedwith prid
as we'll as modesty. It will suffer rathe
than claim the assistance of any, even
friend. He who desires to seek out ans
relieve the wants of the poor, has not far t,
70 or long to wait. But the search mus
be in earnest, or the werthiest victims o
hard fortune will escape notice.
81 The young are by no means exempt from
4 their duty in this respect. There is always
something for them to do, if they will take
tho trouble to search for it. 1t is splen
did habit for a young person to get into,
that Of caring for the unfortunate, or even
giving attention to the little civilities of
life which fall in ones way. There are
plenty of opportunities, if you have the
disposition to take advantage of them.
l remember once seeing little lame boy,
holding 9 small basket in his hand. stand
ing on one side of q street which was
flooded with water. He evidently wanted
to get acrose. He looked at his thin shoes,
and then up and down the street, as if to
find good place to cross.
Another and smaller boy came along.
He wore stout rubber boots. He saw
the situation at q glance, and at once called
out
SNOW, then, can't you get across the
street Z"
"oh, yes, 1 can; but 1 do not want to
wet my feet. 1 might take. cold, aud
then my lameness would be worse than
ever"
.'Well, you just get upon my back and
I'll put you across in jiffy. Take care
now, and hold on !"
Once safely over, the lame boy was set
down carefully, and the other lad ran off
gleefully playing with his dog down the
street, and was econ out of sight.
That l call true polteness. One act,
know, does not form habit for life, but 1t
indicates pretty clearly the tendency of
ones character; once set in the proper di-
rection, it becomes easy to go on. One day
recently q young girl entered a BARRIERS
shop in the great city of Vienna, and told
the proprietor that she wished to I" sell her
head"
The barber ran his hands over her long
chestnut locks, and began to chaffs about
the price.
"You see, miss, hair is very plentiful
this year and the price has gone down.
How much do you demand I"
81 don't know, sir; never sold my hair
before. How much will you give Z"
"Oh. can not say that want to buy.
There is less and less demand every year.
It takes great while to make sales to sd
vantage. However, will pay you eight
gulden."
Now the truth was, the young lady had
aA,eautiful head of hair, and the barber at
once made mp his mind to have it at any
price. He only wished TO take adv vautage
of the young girls ignorance and inexperi-
ence. 60
When the price was named the poor
maiden's eyes filled with tears, and she hes
itated moment. But want stared her in the
face. She threw herself into a chair, ex-
claiming, as she covered her face with both
hands
"In Gods name, sir, take it as quick as
you can ~
The barber grasped the prize with one
hand, seized the shears, aud was about to |
cut away the beautiful chesnut locks, when |
q gentleman who sat half shaved, looking
on with great interest, told the man to
''My child" he continued turning to the |
girl, "why do you sell your beautiful
hair ?"
My mother has been nearly five months |
i'll. can not earn enough honestly to sup
porte us, Everything we have has been |
pawned or sold, and we have not a penny in
che house."
again began to flow.
Well, If that is the case, will buy
your hair. will give you one hundred
gulden for it."
"eYOu may have my hair for half that
amount, if the other gentleman will give
his CONSENT
"Certainly get as much as you can"
replied the barber. 81 reliuguish all
claim.n
The stranger handed the girl banknote
for one hundred gulden, at the sight of
which q smile OF triumph lighted her coun-
teRance. But as he approached with the
shears to cut away the hair she again COW
cred her face with her hands, as if not will
ling to know when the sacrifice was COM
pleted.
But the stranger only selected the long
eat hair he could find, cut it off and put it
carefully in his pocketbook, and took the
poor girls address, in case be wanted to
call for the rest of his purchase. He was
neither prince nor a lord, but a gentleman
of moderate means, with kind heart. Let
us hope that such are to be found, it may
be with difficulty, in our own country.
THE DEVIL GETS his DUE.
Green Bay AdvocRte)