Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-01-13


tors in his project and saying few words
abou, 1t a, church services and in Sabbath.
schools In all he made sixty addresses, and
was wholly repulscd on but ono single ooca.
ion.
The "Ebcnczcr Scrooge in this instance, was
n clergyman, who evidently did no, consider
personal contact with the poor any pant Of his
duty. lie lived in handsome dwelling, In
the enjoyment Of every home comfort, but had
altogether forgotten the Old Testament passage
which says. "fs not this tho last that have
chosen, to deal Thy bread TO the hungry, and
that thou bring the poor that arc cast out into
thy house, lie dismissed the application
with the words, ~ do not see how our people
can do anything II they arc sick children
we certainly could not think Of taking them
into our homes. II they arc not sick let them
stay where they are" II would require a skill
ful casust TO determine whether or not such a
mar as this had q soul, or, II he had one,
whether It were not soin6nitcssimallysm small that
nothing but powerful magnifying glass would
bring 1t into view.
In connection with the untinng cScrtions Of
MI Parsons over three thousand individuals
became recipients Of the vacations pleasures
during this summers work a larger number
Nill during the following year, and the most
successful season in the history Of this blessed
midsummer charity came to close in Octo.
Der last, when the final party Of little pilgrims
was safely landed in the city, bringing the
whole number Of bcneheiaries up to $500
The generous public furnished ample means
during the whole summer, contributions being
sent in until the fund reached the handsome
sum Of $2I,SS6 Volunteer helpers were ready
TO 70 with the children 10 and from the country,
so that not a dollar was used for salaries.
Early in the spring the Evuing FoR trans
to the New York 7jfbnue, which arrangement
seems 10 have furnished greater facilities than
before for prosecuting the work. The reflex
influence OF this charming charity upon those
who have aided it can hardly be estimated.
Many hard and unimpressiblc nature has
been softened, awakened, and won even to
tears by the gentle touch OF baby hand, and
the loving prattlc Of one and another of the
tiny summer boardcrs, "angels unawares, -
whom they have received into their homes.
Good Christians, also, who have listened all
their lives to eloquent sermons on the beauty
Of charity, have had their hearts touched as
never before by the striking objectlcssons
which this vast benevolent enterprise has
placed before them.
This article would be incomplete were the
"Story Of the Scotchman" omitted, a story
which Mr.. Parsons frequently relates to his
audiences with telling effect;
As a city missionary was one day collecting
n band of children for him to take into the
country, she came upon a miserable family
which had just been turned out Of doors. The
parents being both intoxicated, the mother, il
possible, in a worse condition than the father,
paid no attention to their children, so the lady
took two Of them by the hand and brought
them with the rest OF her party to the North
River boat, which was just about to leave.
Mr.. Parsons speaks of these two children as
being "thc most pitiable objects he ever be-
held" They were in rags, shoeleSs and hat
less, their hair was matted together, and their
faces were so begrimed with dirt they seemed
to defy even soap and the scrubbing. brush.
The contrast between themselves and the other
children, who had been washed and neatly
dressed in preparation for the trip, was SO
great that the two little fellows skunk off by
themselves, curled up on coil of rope, where
they were somewhat hidden, and went to
sleep. On arriving al the New York village,
whittier the party was bound, tall, lank,
greathearted Scotchman came TO invite some
OF the children to his house, and said, as soon
as he saw the miserable looking little brothers
"These are the ones want; we have plenty
of soap and water, and are not afraid of dirt. y
When he returned them to the station fort.
night later they were altogether different chill
dren-were two as fne-looking boys as ont
would wish to see, holding their heads erect,
and the proud and happy possessors Of two
full suits of clothes. The kind hearted Scotch
man could not keep back his tears as he kissed
them goodbye, and the little fellows cried n.
though their hearts would break. The father
was SO astonished at the transformation in hi:
children that he declared there must be some.
thing good about religion that taught people
to perform such deeds as these, and he then
and there made up his mind to reform. "And
now says Mr.. Parsons, 81 can show you q
little apartment in one Of the large New York
tenement houses, kept spotlessly clean, q
Christian home, and the parents both consist.
ent members of mission chapel. One such
result as this would amply repay for the work
of summer"
This good Sco,chman must have "sat for
his picture, in the touching little poem pub.
lished in Haypey's Ktekb not long since. In
recognition Of his Christ-like deed the lines
are here reproduced;
Go the tahls Mary, and let the cloth be white
The hungry city children are coming here TO night,
The children from the city, with features pinched and
spare,
Are comm here to &c, breath Of Gods untain,ed air
They come from ,ou, the dungeons where they with
From places dark and dismal, by tears of sorrow
stained
From where thousand shadows are numbering all III.
light,
Sc. well the table. Mary dear. an lie, the cloth b.
white
They ha not the daisies made for the hearts be
hoof;
They never heard the rairSrops upon cottage roof
They do not know the kisses Of zephyr an Of breeze
They never rambled .id an free beneath the fores,
trees.
The fragrant water lilies have smiled on them;
They never picked wild flower from OIL its dewy stem
They never saw green sward that they could sael,
pass
Unless they Needed well the sign that says, Keep Of
the grass
God bless the men an women Of noble brain an heart
Who 80 down in the folk-swamps take the children
paul
And never fail to gseus more Of pleasure than they get