The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-10-25

| trudirg their presence and society on those
> who as the phrase reads, ''are above them"
5 There is an impression, if it is not kept
down by the open and friendly conduct Of
the rich, that they do not desire the rough
and uncultivated association of the humble.
The rich should also be the teachers of and
exemplars for the poor They should not
assume the position of authoritative teach
ers and lecturers, for this would be the as
sertion of superiority, which would be
resented. This teaching should be the re-
suit of communicating useful information
i'll social Intercourse, and the example of a
prudent, useful and honorable life.
In villages and towns circulating Libraries
should be established, whereby the means
of intellectual improvement should be fur
nished to all. In the country the news.
papers, magazines and books of the rich
should be freely lent to their poorer neighN
bors.
The wealth Of the rich should not be ex-
pended i'll the purchase of such things az
serve mostly to show how much more for
tunate thoy are than others nor on the
hand, should it be boarded. 1t should
rather be employed i'll furnishing occupa-
ton to those who labor.
The necessities OF the poor should not be
taken advantage of for the purpose of max
ing money-by driving hard bargains with
them getting unfairly recompensed- their
hard toll; on the other hand they should call
out our active aid. | do not 30 much re,
commend gifts TO the poor, as lending To
them or giving them credit, doubt, eX-
cept in cases of extreme distress, whether
gifts ever do good We have done oar duty
in this respect to poor neighbor when We
have afforded him the means of acquiring
property by his own exertions. Gifts teach
a dependence on the giver, and destroy self
reliance i'll the receiver. II is false char |
ity which encourages mendicancy. A well
directed benevolence will furnish oppor-
tunities to work efficiently, and thus stm~
ulate enterprise and encourage prudence
and economy.
| Probably there is no duty We owe to the
poor, the discharge of which will confer
greater benefits, than teaching them the
means of making their homes healthy, com.
Portable and attractive. The home of every
human heing should be such that his abb
sence from it will always be Il period which
he will endeavor to shorten. lie IL uufor-
tunato indeed, who on turning his footsteps
homeward shall, when he first catches n
glimpse of his dwelling have Il feeling of
regret that his absence cannot be prolong.
ed, Men and women and children must be
Mt home because they like it and its sur
roundings and inmates-not from an en-
forced necessity nor sense of duty alone
Yha family is the unit of modern christian
civilization vs,ahout home there can be
no realization of the essential good of fans
lily life, ----
An humble cabin Oh spot of ground
without grass, or shade, or flowers, Or fruit t
trees, or vines, is per SC, mlattractiye. How i
easily all these things may be added, {
if the Independent in fortune shall teach {
how little trouble and care they cost, and {
give the seeds from which they are produce c
ed. These adjuncts to the dwellings of the a
poor might be made both pleasant and $
profitable. The poor housewife and her L
daughters may be taught to raise grapes
and other fruits, and to convert them into .
wine or other articles of agreeable food or n
drink. So long as mankind shall conslrue {
the miracle of the marriage supper rs an t
expression of the Saviour that the drink t
ing of wine is neither harmful nor e
sinful, so long will there be a market e
for all the produce of the grape, .
But if the homemade wine of the poor a
were unsaleable, it would remain to "
tighten the labors of the toiler and to cheer ii
his weary hours. o
We must SO act III governmental affairs n
and in private life, that the hope Of bettcr> CO
ing his condition shall always he bright and p
strong in the poor mans bosom. If hard st
and itksome labor be regarded by him who p
performs it as but temporary only the n
necessary means of procuring independence, p
it will be performed willingly and without
complaint. On the other hand, if the po- "
liticil and social circumstances of the la Il
borGr be such that life presents no prospect Il
of an Improvement in his condition if the di
future holds ont no hope for Il relief from h,
never ending toll, furnishing only the ue> p,
cessares of life, there will bo discomfort hi
instead of happiness, the parall Of de ~
spair instead of the energetic progress Of n,
hope If love for our fellow~man, the ties bl
of a common brotherhood cannot induce iii
such action on the part of the rich to a.
alneiorate the condition of the poor, the Ii,
selfish instincts of our nature should impel b,
us. There is nothing more uncertain than
the retention of wealth. An unlucky spec st
uation,, "a faithless friend, to whom We may r
lave lent our names, an overflow, a disas- m
irons storm or drouth, ire, the Enayish- al
hess or ignorance of lawyer or the vanity "a
Of acquired wealth leading us into uurea, n
,onable expenditures, may strip us at any A
lime of our possessions. The fear that We d,
may fall should induce us to make the lot %,
waiting us in poverty as tolerablo as possi~ IA
blo The poor man whom We have scorued g:
in the day of ouI prosperity, may have ae- M
Iuired the wealth which We have lost, and e.,
ne may, in turn give Us back That winch We OF
gave him. The rich who were our associ- oi
ties, taught by our evil example, may turn iu
Ihelr backs on us when we have descended rJ
INTO the ranks Of the poor We cannot m
axe bond from fate against these results. III
'ut il we could, We have no law ~ entails. m
Il our prudence and energy may be suff- hi
,ient to guar,l our wealth during our own N
ife time, We have no security thai it wlii an
remain with our childr1u- Observation i,f
.saches ms t,at wealth rarely renains in q wi
lsn.ily hey "a Inc third generation. We R