The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-12-17
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
BIBLE SOCIETY OF MAINE.

Yesterday morning, Rev. A. III. Wright, a.
| the st. Lawrence street church, spoke upon
| the work of the Maiue State Bible Society
| for the past year. During the last year there
have been, at various times, twelve Bible
workers in the field, under the able superin-
| tendence of Mr.. E. b. Stilson, who has beer
nine years in the Society's employ. Two
counties have been thoroughly canvassed In
| that time, and in two others the ground has
been about traversed. The summary of the
years work shows that 1908 families have
been visited, of which 0,7S0 are non-church-
going. OF these 1908 families 1905 were
Bible-less and were supplied by our mission
aries. One thousand one hundred and nine
ty-two copies of the scriptures have been
given away, and 6,6S2 have been sold 1926
youth were found not connected with any
Sunday school. During the canvass 10,135
miles have been traversed, 123 cities, towns,
plantations and islands have been visited
and 12S public addresses made.
Some of the incidents narrated and stats
tics given show an almost incredible destitu-
tion of Bibles and absence of religious teach
ing of all kinds in many sections.
Rev. Mr.. Wright made an earnest appeal
to his people to recognize the important work
this society is accomplishing and to aid its
prosecution.
FIRST PARISH CHURCH.
President Hyde of Bowdoin College, de-
liyered the annual address before the Port
land Benevolent Society in the First Parish
church last night. The following is an ex-
tract of what he said: The Portland Benev-
olent Society has for its work the helping of
persons who have seen better days, who re-
tain those instincts that culture has given
them 1t has been its lot to aid in one or two
cases descendants of clergymen and con-
gresSmen. Benevolence, of course, means
good will. What, then, is good will? 1t is
will that wills the good. What then is the
hrs. 81.
is mans well being. What then is mans
well being? 1t is bread and beef, a coat on
the back, roof over the head and bed TO
sleep in? No; these, are parts of it, but by
no means the whole. A man may not be
we'll off without these things, but it is by no
means sure that he will be well off with
them. What a man thinks, what he feels,
what he does, what he hates, what he hopes
for, what he tries to do. what he means to
be, what he fears, what he breads and shrinks
know about man before you can be. sure
that it is well with him. Benevolence,
therefore, or the art of willing what is good
for man is not the simple and easy task, the
holiday diversion, the off hand, incidental
tossing of pennies to the poor which for the
most part the world hitherto has taken 1t to
be. The first principle of practical benevo-
lence is, know all that can be known about
the man you help. lndiscriminate aims CIV
ing may do good but the likelihood of its
tina. some child will shoot himself
with loaded pistols If they are
kept loaded in the house where he
can get them. In either case you are respon-
sible for all the consequences you might
reasonably have foreseen. But it would be
hard to find practice the outcome of which
is more destructive of intelligent benevo-
lence in the giver. and more destructive of
virtue and manhood in the recipient, than
the practice of giving money, food and CLOTH
sx,r, onfn 20 hoh 20
characters and lives you do not take the
trouble to find out about 1t sounds like a
hard saying when Bishop Potter of New
York tells us it is far better, better for him
and better for us. to give a beggar kick
than to give him half dollar That sounds
harsh. 1t is the plain, sober truth.
The second principle is like unto the first
Let the man you help know as much as he
can of you. Benevolence cannot be carried
on by forming trust giving the direction of
the whole sphere of benevolent operation
over to the direction and administration of a
central committee; stopping work here and
there, and then dividing up the merit of the
whole enterprise among the stockholders or
contributors. Food, raiment and shelter
are not what the poor most need; nor
are these the best, the truly rich have to
give. Indeed, half the persons who are in
want in our cities need no help at all, except
help in finding work. One-sixth are utterly
unworthy of any help whatever. One-ffth
need only temporary relief and encourage
ment to get over hard places, while only
about one-tenth need permanent relief. All
need cheer, comfort, advice, encouragement
sympathy, or else reproof, warning and re
| straint.
The third principle of benevolence is this
| Give the man no more and no less help thar
| he needs to make his life what you and hi
both see that 1t is good for 1t to be. The &C
| ceptance of charity involves certain sacri
| flee OF independence. That, however, is no
| of necessity bad thing. 1t may be either
| loss or a gain. In the light of this principle
the question of how much to give becomes
Clear. If you find man in misfortune wht
| either has or can be made to have hope
| courage, resolute determination to make tn,
| very best he can of hard situation If ther,
is willingness to work, an abandonment O.
| vicious and extravagant habits, than you will
| not count 9ny sum too great, even il il in
| wolves the carrying Of the man and his fami
| ly right through the winter by sheer force o.
providing for them outright everything the.
| need.
| These are the Fundamental principles o
| practical benevolence. Each of these prin
ciples is vital and indispensable.