The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1881-09-03
A PhiIanthrOpist's Mail.


Mrs. Elizabeth Thompson, the we'll
known philanthropist of New York, is
constantly beset by applications for as
sistance from all parts of the country
and for a bewildering variety of OBJ
jects. In an interview with New
York reporter, she thus describes one
mornings mail (: This is my morn
ing's mall you see, and the first letter /
opened was a request to buy bell for
church not hundred miles away.
am daily appealed to for money to build
churches, buy bells and organs, or
assist clergymen to means for few
months vacation, or to increase their
meager salaries, till am lost in amaze
ment. I wonder why there are not
more communions in one, why so many
creeds, why so many empty pews and
SO few practical advantages! Now l
believe in churches and the sacraments;
| believe in all that is essential to the
growth and exaltation of humanity,
but cannot for my life comprehend
the necessity of so many different
ways of worshiping and honoring our
Maker, and the necessity of so many
different routes to heaven. I believe
that greater good on earth and honor to
His holy name would be attained II
some of these numerous churches were
turned into school-houses or workshops.
Just look over the pile of letters and
you will find applications for means to
accomplish all sorts of things. Here is
an application for contribution to
build q church in Arkansas costing
$50, 900, which, if / grant, [ am prom
ised that the name and the amount
given are to be engraved on tablet
and placed in the church. This is
solicitation for money to publish
=" gigantic benevolent work" This is
from the financial agent of Western
college. He says: 81 desire you to en-
Joy with us the luxury of building up
and sustaining it. We need larger
endowment and new building would
like the pleasure of giving you proml-
nent place in the history of the college,"
This letter is from woman asking
for 5000 in cash, or, if she cannot have
that amount, $26, to enable her hus-
band to Join the Odd Fellows, when, if
he gets sick, he will receive benefits.
A man in Chicago writes and says that
he wants $4,000 to buy grocery with,
and that if he had such start he could
manage to support himselfand family"
This one is from Missouri. A physician
with family and an income OF 81, 200
is in need of surgical instruments, and
requests me to send them at once. He
incloses me long list of articles that l
never heard of before. Here Is one
from temperance lecturer, who invites
me to aid him in the broad field of
philanthropy, by sending him about
| $75 worth of illustrated views. And
married lady from city, IN this
State, writes to ask, "would / be so kind
in my gracious goodness to provide
her with pocket money, as her husband
is one of those kind of men who
thinks more of his money than of
his family, consequently keeps tight
hold upon his purse strings" Then here
are q dozen or more solicitations Tor
money to start or sustain newspapers,
etc, ad infnitum ct ad nauseam. These
letter applicants are easily disposed of
by filing their letters. Not SO with
| tnOSo VINO are WlbHln pciSoAaA Ioaoh VA
me. They come. And if by chance l
am induced to give aid or even audience
to one of those who have request or
scheme to benefit mankind, [ am at
once possessed of an affection worse to
get rid of than the neuralgia. To give,
to assist, to investigate and then refuse
to continue, is to be just like woman
whatever that means. But after all
said and done, to become Disguised
with trying to do good, because the
object benefited is unworthy is to
render charity a worldly calculation,
and not the impulse of grateful heart.
That a fellow creature suffers is suf-
fcient reason for us to try to aid him,
and the remembrance of that act is,
I believe, ample recompense.