Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-12-12
THE HERALD.
MRS. GRIER'S DISCRIMINATION
BY ELLA LATRoBE.

"Indeed, | do not think [ am un
charitable -
And it would have been very hare
for any one to suspect in the speak
or that unamiable character. Cent,
in manners, kind in face, sweet il
voice, amiable in aspect altogether
hers was such form and such a pre-
sence as painter might choose, t.
embody his ideal of the chief of The
three Christian graces And there
was such humility in her tone, thai
the impression of her kindness deep
ened as she spoke. There seemed
no arrogance, but modest confidence
in her words Indeed, do not
think / am uncharitable.n
"Nobody is farther from thinking
you 30 than / am, said her friend
81 know you to be sc generous, that
plead for ono whom you have
stricken from your kind memory"
"To be lavish is not to be chart.
table,"
81 know that very WE'LL" said the
other lady. And she might have
added-sI do not think that you do,
quite know it, But it is not wise
to attack peoples seIi-love when
you are striving to awake their com
passion. 81 know very we'll that to
be lavish is not to be charitable.
do not even ask you to giUe, as
think gift is not needeu in this
case. | only desire you TO employ
Margaret Murphy, hard working
woman, with large family"
Not only hard working but hard
feeling, impatient. impertinent, and
uDgrateful And | fear she ia dis
honest. must discriminate 10 what
! do for the poor" Alas no psioter
would have wished to catch tho ex
preston of that face just then, to
give as his conception of charity:
That answer closed the conference
of the two ladies on that particular
subject. What else was said was he
constrained commonplace, on differ
emit matters, necessary preliminary
to polite leave-taking
As Ms Blake, tho petitioner, left
ths house, she thought-"How
strange it is, that many persons, Ger
tainly we'll disposed, should strive to
do what the Divine Goodness does
not-~.to cover the unjust from the
fruitful rain, and Ia shut the sum
beams from them And that, too,
when no man can tell who truly is
deserving and who Is not ~
And Mrs. Grier, who had really
quite forced herself, against her in
clination, to decline the request of
Mrs. Blake, and who had beeu obs
liged TO work herself up into indig-
patton ageinat poor Margaret, in or
der TO resist the mporlunity of her
friend--she soIiloquized -"How
strange that Mrs Blake should con.
Germ herself SO much for such ua-
worthy creatures as that woman,
Murphy 'We must discriminate.
People who are thriftless and waste.
iul, and ill-tempered, do not deserve
assistance I"
And who is the judge? How hard
the lot of the poor IL is easy
enough TO be thrifty. when you have
. certain income, and can assign
each dollar to tie proper use and
place. But when dollars come lev
and far between, it is not so easy TO
get dollars worth for each. Il is
not difficult to be prudent, when
you have still something left in hand,
or in the larder. But when your
alternative is feast or q famine, and
tho famine comes of,ener than its 70
gular turn, the waste Of the feast
will avenge Itself on the want of the
famine. As to rood
temper, lot those who have full and
plenty always wear smiles, before
they reproach others whosc hard lot
has marked itself in the hard lines
Of their facesi
And so the two ladies took their
severaI W avs. They were both en-
ergetic, both charitable They were
both members of that informal guild
who seek out and relieve the dis
tressed, and who make the life of the
poor in our over.crowded cities en-
durable; at least so tar as their good
offices can roach. They not only
applied their meane, bat they devot.
cd their time, and raised the hearts
OF the destitute by that better gift
than aims, the evidence of sy mpathy.
They wore also the almoners Of 9th.
ers, who, themselves not able, or
not disposed to seek ous distress,
were still willing to do good by de.
putty. There may have been slight
flavor of business in their good
works. but who on earth is faultless ?
And there may have been, more>
over, some exhibition of the censor
drudge in their discussions. We
have seen it strongly marked 10 Mrs.
Grier. And Mrs. Blake had her
share, too. Mrs. Gricr judged the
poor, being herself rich. Mrs. Blake
Judged the rich, being herself. if not
poor, still compelled to be careful in
her disbursements.
Mrs, Grier had, at tina! time, fa-
vorite subject; poor widow, WAC
vas submissive and sweet tempered
enough at least when her charitable
friends were nigh. For she was on
the verge of absolute starvation !;
and was, besides, hopelessly ill. She
was one Of Mrs. Grier's deserving
poor" She would have been better
cared for in public institution than
in her narrow and wretched apart-
ment. But her heart so rebelled at
the very idea of the almshonse, that
her kind friend, Mrs. Grier, could
NOT think ofproposing such reno.
val TO her. Her neighbors, the poor
woman declared, were so kind.
"Whiles one would come in, and
~ h;lnn o n Of nr and rhn nnunr rrnnt