New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-12
the wise bu1der of their representatives TO
remain unchanged.
4 sroRY WLrHOrr 4 MOR1L.

4 STORY WITHOGT A MORRILL,
A story has gone the rounds Of the papers
about a certain good-hearted young ieloW
named Skinner, who, ten years ago, was kihd
to an unknown man from Antigua. The other
day this stranger died, leaving to John skinner
S75OOOO. Another story, which we believe
to be true, was told lately OF n young
female school-teacher who was travelling TWO
years ago on the Pennsylvania Railroad, when
another woman, apparently as poor as her-
self, was suddenly taken i'll. The girl delayed
her journey for dayor two to nursethe stranger
at an inn, and then went on her way, and heard
of the incident no more until last September
when she received information that she was
the heir to fortune which would make her
comfortable for the rest of her life.
The newspapers have been passing around
these cheering anecdotes as Stories witha Moral.
We are not quite sure what the moral Is. Ii
it is that we are all to become amiaole or be-
neyolent in the certainty OF a good fat an
nuity from Fate in hard dollars, the moral Is
a dcusion and a snare. Your lucky Skinner
is one white elephant In herd of Il million.
The Good Samaritan paid cash for the OIL anu
wine, and was by so much out of pocket; but
we are not told that his neighbor whom
he succored ever reimbursed hIm FOR the same.
We are not even told that he paid him by a
decent amount Of gratitude. If we should
hold up John SINNERS good luck to our read
ers as Il specimen Of the ordinary dealings Oh
Destiny with the charitable, every one OF them
would produce hundred good fellows he
knows with big hearts, open hands and lean
rockets. "He that giveth to the poor, lcndrth
''to the Lordn we all know; but IL would be
bad policy to invest in charity with The exDec-
tation that payment would be made IN cash,
and with SINNERS ten thousand or so per
cent at that
Look about in any village, and it is your
old GriDer who owns the controlling shares
of the bank stock and the heavy end OF the
local railway. Money-making chances come
to him rs nevis drift TO the big limpet IN the
pool. Take his neighbor, the man best known
for benevolence in the town, and where are
his shares of bank or railway stocki VINO
leaves him a legacy? The very qualities
which make him genial, credulous, generous,
render HIM a bad business man. His is one
of those families which money seems to
shun his sons turn out half-stsryed clergy
men his daughters marry into houses pare
of everything but love; il Is on The
farm next to his that oil is struck he
invariably just grazes good fortune, but
he never hits it. Yet the public draw on
him as freely rs they would from the town
pump. Every case of misery or want in the
county comes straight to him, TO drain on
his sympathy and purse; he is perpetually
cheated, to-day by an Irish MODE of
washcrwOman, tomorrow By Benevolent
Association that calls Itself an apostle ana
"carries the bag" This mans lot Is the one
to hold uD to boys as the result of Good
Samaritlnism; not the mythical SINNERS,
with his gorged pockets.
To show it to them fairly, though, it is just
to state that this man Is never fOrsaken,
never comes to want; his children never beg
their bread. SO far the promise OF Holy Writ
is passed to him who lends to the poor. IOu
must show them, too, the real possession
winch is given TO him in lieu of Gripers stocks
and bonds. You will find no trace Of it in his
bare house OF shabby clothes; but 1t Is limited in
the tones OF his voice. The content OF this
Great possession is in his dead face as he lies
with his Old friends about hiIn-the widow and
the father!ess and the poor that he has de-
livered. The payment made to such men
il lntangible; it holds no place IN the
market; yet the splendor of it shines in their
homes and out Of their graves like light in
a dark place; it has made that little deed of
the Good Samaritan beacon through all the
ages; it is all that makes a house, or
village, or the world itself a happy home for
human beings instead Of den Of greedy,
selfish beasts.
Let us teach charity, good fellowship, care
for our fellows, to orr children; but let us
teach them too what the reward is TO be.
Not SINNERS, but price which makes his
paltry thousands 4 matter of indifference.