Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1890-12-11
BE CHARITABLE.

Woman Should Not he Too hasty IN Her
Condemnation of an Errins Sister.
1t was on the cars. only a few days
ago. Behind me sat middle-aged wom-
an accompanied by young girl OF, pos
sibly nineteen. ! had finished my pa
per- and in some manner my ears be-
came attuned to the conversation OF the
couple behind me. | knew not the ex-
act drift of the talk, but with sweet
ness Of voice that / shall never forget
came this heavenly injunction: YES,
my dear, l know she has done wrong,
but do not shut the door of your heart
to her. If others turn from her, be you
her friend. Kindness in trouble is the
very sweetest Of ba.iams." ] could not
resist turning in my seat, and giving
glance of admiration at woman who
could give suLn wise, sympathetic coun-
sci; there was ring of true, womanly
charity in that remark-a charity all too
rare in our days. ~
How often we hear Of society shutting
its doors to some woman who has made
a single misstep in her life! BY a COM
bination of circumstances for which she
was perhaps not altogether responsible.
by an erroneous Interpretation OF that
love implanted in the heart of every
woman by her Creator, many woman
has, in an unlucky moment, diverged
just step from the road of womanly
perfection. At once, she is ostracized
from homes where formerly she was a
favored visitor. Society must be pro-
tected." is the cry; and to that woman
every opportunity, every channel posi-
BILE for reclamation is cut Off She is
cast adrift often by family as we'll as by
society, on the mercies of an unchari-
table world. TOO bad, but we can not
afford to recognize her any longer, you
know" rings in that poor girls ears as
she wrSders forth-a social exile.
Iyield 70 no one in advocacy of pure
and elevating society. Where people
are lax in it's social laws every protec-
ton to the sanctity of the home is re-
moved, and all domestic calamities are
possible. But when the purity of my
home is to be attained by refusing to
allow an erring and needy woman to
cross it's threshold because of a single
mistake; when by an act of mine the
future life and hopes of one OF that sex,
of which my mother is member, must
be sacrificed, then, my friends, shall
refuse to be recognized member OF
American society. l believe in uphold
ing every social law, in observing every
social protection, but.not at the expense
of woman who needs only kind word
and helping hand to raise her once
more to the level of the members of my
household.
There are, unfortunately, women who
by nature are willingly reckless of the
laws of society; over them it is best tC
throw the mantle of silence. But let us
be little more charitable to the woman
who stumbles by the social wayside. AL
our lives and natures are not the same
Let lis remember that some of us are en-
dowed with lesser strength of will ant
sel-control, than others. Let us think
what we might have done if placedamiG
clouded surroundings. 1t does us M
harm sometimes to put ourselves in the
places of others. Charity is born of Goo
and it is to His unfortunates that We
should extend it. The strong and for
tunate have no need of it, 1t is neither
wise nor human to close our doors too
quickly against some stumbling sister
Let us think it not unlikely that thu
same temptation which has come to hel
may sometime come to some member o
our own family, or to some one dear tt
us, and as we would that others would
do unto our own kin and those we love
so let us do unto the flesh and blood o
others. We need not abuse social law
by doing an act of kindness; we ma.
abuse one of Gods own chosen by with
holding it Ladies' Home Journal.