Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-08-15
BETWEEN OURSELVES.

Benevolence. or rather benehcence. is amis-
ohlevous means of gossip. and field wherein u
few women are defL workers, men being gen
orally too selfish to undergo any personal dis
'mfort for the sake of getting what is sure to
re- ch them anyway A little close observa
tion shows that the Jellaby-, the Pardiggles
aud the Harriet Beecher Stoves are women
whose untiring energies hunt down their vic
tins collectively and separately with the
ph,lanthropic intention of finding ont all about
them for reports either to org aniz atoms to
social circle. Their observations are meant for
publication in books. pamphlets, or in oral
transfer. The world would be quite as well
off withou: them. IL Is species of literature
wherein the returns are seldom made to God,
in the charity of silence and unvoiced we'll
doing. There is recent report published
here which is enough 60 strike the stoutest
sinner with a wholesome disgust for the frailty
which has brought the soul to such pass
that it has quotations in the penitence bulle-
tins, and margins and grades In spiritual val
ues, which make salutary reading when scatter
ed broadcast. s.5rsg
In every community there will be few
women who have q turn for active charity, go
called, and they are indefatigable in hunting
up subjects to wreak their goody impulse on.
They feel all the ex hilaration of a mission"
Taey are uplifaed With the belief that they are
specially selected by Heaven to do a great work
A, they go alb mt ON their errauds of benef-
cence, they feel az if peculiar aureola enoir.
Giles them as Distinguishing mark of grace,
NV ha
| seriousness of q CHI sen fitness they invade the
homes of "eenteei commoners'' which have
been visited by some misfortune, thereby fur
nishing the pretext of intrusion in the speoious
suts of active sympathizers.
Sometimes the dilemma is sin, disgrace. or
sudden calamity. but oftener it is q protracted
illness where assistance and watching are not
auiss. These given with Christian
traightforwardness, and forgetful-
ness of all else in the situation, must be ever
acceptable.
But where there is only shallow egotistical
impulse Of kindness, serving as Aimsy guise
for real curiosity in investigating the house
hold IF tho afaio,ed, and becoming familiar
with it's privacy, its inner springs, then these
charitable visitationa of fine lady philanthro
pists are rather to be deprecated than encour-
a ed.
| The 'genteel cemmoners'' would suffer no
end of privations rather than have the setting
of their lives, their emotions. and the revela-
| ton of their miseries given in the rebound Of
| sympathy shown up with oleverness by the
fair philauthrepists. They would shrink from
| such possibilities of exposure with nervous
dread. They live more within themselves as a
rule, than another set which might be consider
ed above them in sensitiveness and refinement.
But no such reserve guards the upper circle; it
| lives more in the public eye, and its sensipili
ties are not Sd tender and reticent as the great
| middle class, which loves not publicity for it.
d,mestic machinery either for praise OF blame.
OF course the unfortnnstes of Benevolenta's
| superficial charity and sharp scrutiny never
even suspect how she does" them for the
| cd liicato n of her set nor how sweetly and in
nooently she has it inferred how good she ia,
and what an angel of mercy she is to the
| needy.
What dashes of humor she introduces
| to mitigate the pathos, keeping her auditors
'twixs smile and tear! It's q suggestion of
Dickens, but Ii b Ill 9 almshouses are not half
SO Humorous as Benevolenta makes the expert
| Q ices of some luckless client who has been the
r.cipiens of her practical aid. The pity which
slips in with the sweetest utterance-a maligu-
Ant inferenoe-ls especially of Benevolenta's.
When she tells you IN the saddest cadence
how sorry she is for hes neighbor. poor gentle
m IN, with his household gods shivered on his
| hearth, like Byron, she viii give his good
name, in the same breath, a cruel blast. by in
sinuating that harmless pastime is merely a
blind FOR an assigaation. Yet you must I'M
d,rstand she pities him. To be sure she does.
D ,esn't she say 80 with her sweetest tricks in
full playa
Her smoshered tint of auburn hair.
II semi-green eyes, ber sibilant voice are sug-
| ative of the LAMA, bat she's 30 pious
| w,thal, that you throw off on the snake part
until you get away, aud then it wrigzles back
in,n your Thought. She has no more idea of
g 1ristian charity han Gen. O. O. Andrews haa
| of journalism, bat her work satisfies her self
| eonceit, and gives her glimpses of interiors,
| W Iioh she lent slow at interpreting. Truth
| is such an intermittent quality with her, that
| until YOU are vsecinated against taking her.
you are in danger. She will always make you
SO e. but you can share it with others in sort
| of preventive process. Her own immediate
| eirc!cs suffer as much from her Charitable
inn ,vatiops IS the 'cemmoners.' She will
| prefer her services with lavish generosity.
and to those hard pushed for neighberly help
| ia the hour of Sickness or SORROW, abe seem.
to be the incarnation of spontaneous kind
ness. But the knowing ones repel her benevo-
lent advances. They feel that one infiiction is
enough. Death ends all. Benevolenta's
| tongue alone is eudless.
| Writing of Russian nuns ah,u forty years
ago the Marquis de Oustine informs us that
some of the orders received handsome annui-
tie. for services rendered the police a. inform
ers. If lady of rank fell ill 'ewas customary
| for one of these ''nuus' to present herself an
nurse. Before leaving the house, che knew all
about its concerns, and that knowledge was
speedily conveyed to the police Office.
IT'S pity Benevolenta doesn't belong to
the Greek church-sather than the Roman
Her vocation has been strangely thwar,ed of
the pecuniary reward which would be SO accept
| able in view of fallen fortunes. In the rest it
has been a success.
There died lately in London woman who
always offered her services to the sick and suf-
| feriug in some precincts, She WAC merely an