The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1884-01-12
OUR LETTER FROM BROADBRiM

OUR LETTER FROM BROADBRIM.
Christmas Week-Feeding tho Poor-sab-
batarian Capitalists Snubbed-A Broken
Hearted Fathers Suicide - Americans
Losing Their Identity-Buhalo Hunting
on Coney Island-Happy New Year.
NEW YORK, December 81, 1883.
EDITOR CHIEF:
The week has been one whirl of excite
ment, heightened perhaps by the heavy fall
of SNOW, which gave us the merry music of
the sleigh bells to make joyous the Christ
mas time It may seem of little conse-
quence to this matter-of-fact generation
whether an humble man nearly 1900 years
ego raised a widows SON from the grave,
or fed hungry thousands, with few loaves
and fishes,by the shores of Galilee butt is
much to them, and will be to untold millions
that come after them, that the star which
shone over the manger at Bethlehem throws
its reflected light down through the CEN
turies and hundreds of millions in every
portion of the globe-whether they go to
church or not-whether they believe in re-
ligion or not-feel their hearts expand at the
the name Of Christ il this happy holiday
time. For every one of the little sleepers
who jumped out of bed on Christmas morn
ing to see what Santa Claus had brought
them the time will come when care and
sorrow, and pain and disappointment will
make this world seem drear and sad
enough; but from out the gloom of the
present bright memories Of the past will
rise memories of ife's golden age, thrice
hallowed by the name of Christ and Christ
mas. There wss an honest effort ON the
part of thousands to tighten the sorrows of
the poor. Not everybody could do what
Justice Steckler did. He sent missionaries
all over his ward to hunt up the hungry
and forsaken, and he fed them all. Yes,
every one that he could reach he fed ; and
if there is big book somewhere in the
skies, where account H prayers is kept,
Justice Steckler will find heavy payment
in his favor some day when the balance
sheet is struck.
There has not been a Christmas for a
generation when charity was more needed.
The streets were miserable, and the hungry
poor were driven to the shelter of their
cheerless garrets and cellars. Those who
were willing to give, once they got into
their comfortable homes, did not feel like
going out to face the pitiless storm to hunt
the poor. Still there were many thousands
of generous hearts at work that night, and
for one day at least in the three hundred
and sixty-fve the SORROWS of the poor were
lightened.
1t is fortunate that humanity is not all
selfsh-that there are some blessed souls
who rarely think of themselves-of what
they suffer or enjoy-whose mission it is to
do good for the sake of doing good, not
looking for fee or reward. These were the
uncanonized saints who looked after the
ragged hoodlums, the miserable waits of
which the church takes no account and that
the Sabbath school never secs, and who
never hear the voice Of prayer and to whom
profanity is as natural as breathing or eat
ing. Yet, though apparently God -forsaksn
and man -forsaken, there was here and there
guardian angel watching over them, and
almost every one was gathered in from the
pitiless street and given good dinner, in
the name of Christ. He fed the hungry,
and in his name the hungry were fed on
Christmas Day. The bootbIacks and the
newspapers shared in the general bsnizen,
and marvel of marvels, the Jews closed
| their stores, and set up trees for the little
ones in their houses, and, with good cheer
and joyous greeting, added TO the glory OF
| the Gentle holiday. The music at the Cath
olic and Episcopal churches has never been
surpassed, for the city is full Of singers OF
exceptional merit. The display in the stores
| recalls the cave of Alladin. The mechanical
| toys are the most wonderful ever seen, and
there were dolls as large as four-year-old
child, with full bridal trousseau of fifteen OF
| twenty dresses, costing any where from one
hundred to five hundred dollars apiece
and other extravagances too numerous te
mention.
We are having nice little row betwe er
the lessees of the Rartoldi Loan Art Ex
hibition and a few of the Chadbands whe
control the National Academy of Design
The committee rented the Acadmeny fol
given time, paying $1,000 rent. At meet
| ing held two weeks ago it was resolved t.