The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1883-01-21
Miss Ober's Charity Concert.

The following letter, which evidently
comes from the vigorous pen of Mr.. John T. Ford
sufficiently explains itself. The sacred concert given
by the Ideal Company for the benefit Of the sick and
afflicted really needed no defense:
EDITOR AMERICAS. Permit from the theatre n
brief reply to of the clerical from the
pulpit and since through the press us to the charity
concert on sunday night; The Ideal Opera Company,
organized and sustained by lady of rare ability and
mobility Of character, miss T.. II. Ober gave last
sunday evening concert witch yielded over 81, 400
to need which every Christian hsart-or beyond
that, every human heart-santioned as having the
first claims upon our charitable impulses. "A man
nt God, y In his pulpit and In the columns your
Journal assumes to assail the motives Of the
generous and thoughtful woman and asctibe
to her the purpose Of preparing the way
of continuous dissertation of the sabbath
and of future business advantage. To us who know
the motives the charge is gronndess reco with
cur contempt upon its rtterer. We know that no
such thought or wish had the slightest influence or
had any consideration. The lady was here but week
soiOurning as stranger among us. Her good faith
10 others left but Sunday at her disposal and think
Ing that charity Itself fulfilled the law EVEN the
law OF God, 1t the greatest of the teachers OF His
word Is underS0ud-she determined good day
to do u good deed TO those stricken, In need. and
stunned. even by many ministers who were quar-
antheu Isolated, unht to work, and begging bread.
She thought, with Coerdge, that
''He prayeth best who loveth best
All things, both great and small:
For the dear God, who loveth us
lie made and loveth ALL
And believed with the Apostle Paul when he said ::
Though speak with tongues of men and Of angels,
and have not charity, am become sounding
brass OF tinkng cymbal as we'll as when he closed
that grand epstle to the Corinthians with 'And now
abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the
/ greatest of these Is charity
TO settle the question as To whether the minister,
by implication, ''bOre false witness against his
negbor' or not 1t Is In the power of the writer to
say that before the concert given Miss Ober had
determined not to return to Baltimore next season,
and her decision has since been stTeng theed by the
assault OF this Baltimore clergyman upon the sincerity
OF her motives In doing act of charity when here
last week, which thought opportune, even In
clerical eyes, In every way except the day on
which IL done. To he'll that was the only lay Mt
her service, and having good authority she met the
appeal coming from those In the pit OF Indebtedness
through poverty and lOathsome disease, IL was the
cry OF mothers and their babes, aud she responded
Something more. Mr.. Editor. You will bear wit :
ness that, without even credit. members OF the
theatrical and musical professions have subscribed
from their weekly earnings, well as given their
services on Sunday to this charity The first large
subscription in this city was fifty dollars from Mr.
Gus Williams, the comedian who Is now far away
from ms. To those Of the clergy who have denOun ced
The sunday concert let me add words that were
impressed upon the brain of the writer In "A Sabbath
school, and which yet remain there tndelibly hXed
They are also from st. Paul; land though have
the gift OF prophecy, and understand all mysteries
and all knowledge. and though | have all faith, so
that could remove mountains. and have not charity
! am nothing Miss ODER and others had charity
toward the wTetched. Should not the clergy have
charity toward Miss ObeT-a woman and a stranger
and particularly as to her Intentions?
I A MASAGER.