The examiner., 1886-01-16
4N EXCEPTIONAL RECOG N/ZTON OF ZOWZ Y
 VIRTUE.

TZH C-E.
 IT is so seldom that true merit and real, unselfsh goodness, when divest- ed of all adventitious circumstances are popularly appreciated and receive due recognition from society, that we take pleasure in roticing one instance where lowly but meritorious life re- ceived the respect it deserved. This case is that of poor, uneducated, Irish servant girl, to whose memory the grateful people of New Orleans have lately erected public monument, surmounted by her statue.
 She was known merely by the name of Margaret" the only name now on her monument. We believe she is the only woman in this country, save one, who has thus been honored. That one was Harriet Martineau at Boston.
 But how diverse were the gifts of these two women. One the learned, intellectual, though benevolent agnos- tic, who essayed by her mental prowess with prolific pen to elevate and en- Tighten mankind the other, a devout Catholic who with her hands sought to lift the burden of woe from deso- lute childhood. The one was large brained, tHe other, large hearted.
 While yet domestic servant, the Sisters of Charity observed Margarets kindness of heart, so characteristic of her class, and placed her as a nurse in their hospital. Here, a patient, attracted by her many virtues, wooed and won her for a wife. But after a few years he died, also their only child. Then, the affections of Margaret went out and embraced all motherless chil- dren. She would be a mother to them all. But to do this she must have money. She did not go about soliciting donations to build an orphan asylum but she went to work to earn the money herself.
 She now established a small bread and cracker bakery, and for time drove her own bread cart. The bus mess prospered, and she enlarged it, building large three story steam bakery. Her distributing wagons were labelled, "Margaret's bread and crackers" Money flowed in, and she might have been millionaire but she devoted all she could spare from the business to the care of orphans. In the course of her life she had founded or aided largely eleven orphan asylums, without regard to difference in religion or color.
 She died in 1882, and all New Orleans mourned for her. Never was woman's funeral so attended. All the civil officers, and different orders, the whole fire department, and delegations from her eleven Orphan Asylums, were all mafshalled in the procession. The Governor and Lieut. Governor of the State were numbered among the pail bearers. AS the funeral cortege passed the Chamber of Commerce, the devotees of Mammon, with un- covered heads bowed and reverent stood ranged along the banquette.
 The next day monument was pro- posed, and contributions from every part of Louisiana flowed in. Even the news boys were eager to contrib ute their mite. The statue was un- yelled in 1884. It is no ideal, sylph- like form, but true to life, that of plain, stout, elderly woman clasping an orphan child. It is a good repres- entation of the homely features which the divine love of humanity in life made radiantly beautiful.
 1.-THE NEXT STEP OF PROGRESS"
 Every man naturally criticises the re- forms presented for bis consideration, and becomes temperance advocate, church 1 member or socialist, according to the matter presented to him. Some one has | sent me pamphlet entitled '.The Next | Step of Progress" advocating 'Limita- i ton of Wealth. by graduated taxation, all | lowing no one to have more than $500, ,OOO, | the rest being practically confiscated by | taxation. MT. Keyser, the author, like | many other reformers, presents strong req sons for great industrial reforms; but the | idea of effecting these reforms through | taxation, and the limitation of wealth, seems utterly fallacious, by the light of past experience.
 Our income tax gave rise to enormous wing and cheating, and the capitalistic class affected by it, having control of con- yress, soon put an end to the most right eous tax we ever had. And any attempt