Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-01-18
Poor. but Proud.

CASES OF SUFFERING AMONG PEOPLE WHO WILL NOT
LET THEIR WANTS BE KNowN-How A FEW GENTLE
MEN IN A FASHIONABLE NEIGHBoRHooD ARE DOING
GooD-PATHETIc INCIDENTS RELATED TO STAR
REPoRTER.
"Tne cases OF the greatest suffering from hunger
and cold In this city,, remarked prominent citizen
TO STAR reporter, "are those which are never
heard OF by the police or the societies for relief
These are the respectable poor, people who have
been In good circumstances, but by some means
have been deprived OF their income. l know Of a
lady who lives in house for which she pays rent
OF S35 per month. She rents out some OF the
rooms, and In this way pays the rent Her only
Child, daughter, lost her position and l know
tnat these TWO women have been suffering from
hunger and cold. They were too proud to let the
neighbors know and they would rather die than
not 10 keep up Appearances
THAT is in my neighborhood," he continued.
land. as you know, that locality is a fashionable
one. There has been for time about fifteen Of
the gentlemen living in that section who have been
trying. In as quiet and delicate way as possible
10 relieve the wants OF those about US who are too
proud TO make them known. We meet every Sun
day night, compare notes. speak OF new cases, and
then pass the hat around for each man to give
what he can. There is not much noise or excite
neDt about this proceeding. but we have the graft
nc3tlon OF Knowing that we have relieved genuine
suffering and enabled many an unfortunate family
10 tide over some disaster in their affairs
cases The natho nr beG o exc gtea ihe nas
pathy OF the most hardened Then could tell you
the difficulty we have had in extending relief. the
pTlIe tlat even IN the extremity OF hunger and cold
turns from the prOifered aid OF charity. A little
girl OF one OF nay friends was eating buttered bis
cu1t IN The yard in front Of the house In the next
yard were TWO little children OF the gentleman
VINO nVed next door There was but little inter-
coIIs" between the families as the gentleman had
hut recently moved into the ncghborilood The
children OF this gentleman looked at The little girl
eating her buttered roll and said:
Why does your mamma allow you to have
Whole roll at once:
The child who had never known want. said with
surprise that OF course she had WOole roll and
many as Sue wanted. Then the little children in
the freedom of childhood said that their mamma
Only LEI them have hail roll and sometimes they
hau ne butter. Other details came out which were
reported by the daughter OF my friend at the DIN
Ger table that evening
Ii set my friend thinking. "COuld It be possible
that man living as his neigLhor did could be In
WANT OF the necessities OF life" He wondered ROW
he could help him, and after dinner stroed into
the gr0celS. He spoke TO The grocer about the
man and asked II he kne" anything III him. The
grocer. 10y ShreWd strinlSes, for some time SuS
friend that he believed they were in great want.
My friend ordered supply OF groceries and proyi-
SlonS, ana the grocer Said he would take them
around himself. Wien he reached the house the
doof was opened By tie man. who VeIy curly tod
tie grocer that the goods had not been ordered by
Ger boldly told him that he ought to be ashamed 10
allow his family 70 suffer when relief WAS at hand.
Tins plain speaking seemed to break him down.
ana lie burst into tears and told the grocer the sad
story Of his nllSfort JIeS and sufIe.lngS."
Now" remarked the gentleman. "there are
numbers OF such cases. ana aid can only be given
by neighDorS who Will do il iii Kind and thought
1ui way. Ii we would only loo, near home ior the
poor Instead Of wandering all over the city. per-
hapS II would be better for us all, he concluded