The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-12-29
LFrom Sermon by James Freeman Olarko.l
The Use of New England Winters

The Use of New England Winters.
But God sends winter to these northern eli
mates for other ends. He sends it in order to
educate some races to sterne- virtues than ever
came to the children of eternal summer. Win
ter is great teacher to men, first, of prudence.
forothought, economy; next, of benevolence
and systematic charity; then of freedom and
independence in the state and church. Al
nothern races ars capable of these virtues; the
southern seem less capable of them. Here in
New England, amid snow and ice, amid storms
and the rigors of nature, there grew up race
of men who knew how to live on little, to live
without luxuries, to take care OF the great In
terest of religion and knowledge, to see that
every child was taught to read and write, that
every soul was taught to know God and Christ;
who made out of economy virtue, and OF
wastefulness and idleness chief vices; who
trained up thoughtful industrious, conscien-
tious men and women-ft for freedom, and
able to help others to be fres. Behind the New
England character stands as stern back
ground the New England climate, its long win
ter evenings when by the light of the fire chill
drea and parents talked together of God and
virtue, and studied in the fitful fame of the
cracking log the elements of knowledge and
religion. Let us thank God to-day for having,
In his wisdom, given us the long winter OF our
climate for by It in part he has developed the
strength of character which enabled New Eng
land 10 be the leader of the nation in its great
agony. Daring the civil war, New England
in the cabinet. New England in the Senate,
New England in the field, New England pour
mo out the accumulated treasure CT her long
ecouomy-everywher was the inspiration and
strength of the national mind, and no small
part Of the power to DO this was given her by
the harsh discipline OF her Arctic winter.
l think winter also tends to promote All syS-
terlatic bsnevolence In southern countries
there is more alms-giving, bat not so much be-
peyoIence as in the north. In the south, II you
give poor man a copper or two, ne mas all ne
wants for the day, for he kneeds only food In
the north, in winter, he needs also clotnlng, nfe
and shelter; so at the north we have not only
to satisfy momentary sympathy by giving
few coppers but to think about the poor, 10
consider their needs and try to do them some
permanent good Hence such institutions as
The associated charities, to provide friendly ad-
vice for the needy, and to be the means of
communication between those who need and
those who have; the proyident associatlou, TO
furnish help; the industrial associations to sup
ply work; the homes for the children; the nos
pitals for the sick, and thousand other Insti-
tutions which have grown up under our severe
northern skies. We proyidesmen and women
with work; we learn to build proper lodging
houses for them; we investigate the problem OK
pauperism 1t is true that as yet little has
been done thoroughly. In a community ike
ours we ought to abolish pauperism forever.
Poverty will remain, but it is not necessary
that paupers should exist in New England.
There is enough already given in beneyolence
to mt an end to all real want II only 1t were
systematized. The thing TO be done, and tnat
which is now being done, is: First to see that
all men and women who can WORK, ana are
willing to work, shall have work by which
they can get a modest put adequate suppoIl'
second to see that all who, from age or sick
ness are unable to work, shall be provided Tor
in way not only comfortable but respectable
Then there only remains the class OF persons
who can work, bnt will not, who prefer vice
and indoleuce to honest labor; and for them
there are appointed by the laws OF GOD ana
man restraint and hardship as cure. by this
mean, not three months in the house OF cor
rection, and then liberty to prey on society
again, but permanent restraint and education
till they are cured. Our long winters have ed
ucated us, and are giving Us an opportunity TO
take up, one by one, the great social questions,
and to do something effectual for their solution.
We snail do it all ia time. Hitherto IN new
England we have been yexed BY this question
OF poverty, for the New England people, as
such. though never rich, have never been
DOOR We have been obliged to import our
paupers from abroad. In many New England
towns there is still not a family TO pc 1ounu
who need or would accept aid from their
neighbors But here, in the great cities, mise,
nv collects; hither poverty hows; mere, al
around us, are constant tragedies enacted I.ore
piteous than any told in novel or periornetn 40, on
the stage to a theatre dissolved in tears. Dur
ing these long winters, therefore, we need 10
consider, to cooperate, to work together III or
der to help the helpless.