St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-01-13
SUNDAY MUSINGS.

L would like to say a few words to
those children to whom Christmas and
Santa Claus brought such bountiful re-
membranes. Away out in East st.
Paul lives little eleven-year-old Bertha.
She lost her mother when only five
years old. Her father is an Industrious
man, but has been sick and out of en-
ployment most of the past year. The
little family have no neighbors close at
hand, aid but few acquaintance.
When last Christmas came there was
just money enough to buy food and
wood: the poor father had nothing left
to get present for his little girl. So
Bertha did not receive single gift of
any kind. Think of that, children!
After the holidays the pitiful little story
came out through her schoolmateS. This
IS an actual case; it lies at our door.
There may be many others like it, and
it is not the kind TO attract notice from
relief societies. Just because Christmas
has passed away for another year is
there any good reason why deeds of
kindness should not go on? The poor
are ever with us. | think that some of
you little girls will be glad to speak to
your wise, thoughtful mothers and see
something can't be done to make little,
lonesome Bertha happy. A few. warm
things for herself and her father doll
and other knickknackS dear to little
girls would go very long way. Then,
perhaps, if you spoke to papa or uncle,
some steady work might be found for
this poor man, who is willing and anX-
ious to support himself and little dau9h-
ter.
How little it takes, after all, to make
children happy. Sitting at my window
one afternoon last week, ] saw big
fur-cOated man in cutter draw rein
and wait for three little girls on small
tOboggans to ''hitch behind" Then
the gay cavalcade set off ata merry
pace, and happy crowd they were!
The children were happy, that goes
without saying; the big blnd-hearted
man in the fur coat looked happy too;
while the observer, ensconced behind
the draperies of the boy window, felt
glow all over as il he had just been per-
forming a good action himself.
I don't put in all my time on Sunday
gong to church. but often enjoy a
pleasant little walk with congenial
friend. 1t was in the course of one of
these Sunday afternoon ralnbleS that l
espied a handsomely appointed sleigh,
in which was seated gentleman who
may be regarded as entitled to the dis
tinctiOn of sort of local Ward McAllis-
ter. This set me muSing as to the prac-
tibility of cities like st. Paul being able
to set up artificial social barriers, and to
permanently maintain an exclusive
circle of 400, or even 100. The Meal
lister ball established one fact, as has
been already noted in another column
of this paper, and that is, money is not
the one and only standard of social rank
in New York. Can as much be said of
st. Paul? | once heard member of
this citv's bon-ton lay down the axiom
that in England gentleman is known
as one who does not work for his
living (thus admitting tramps and con-
fidence men to the sacred class; while
in this country, he said, the line was
drawn at retail trade. Shade of Beau
Brummeli Will each candidate for
enrolment in the mystic four hundred
of this and every commercial city i'll
the land be compelled to make affidavit,
supported by credible testimony, to the
effect that his lily-while, bfue-veined,
gently-tapering digital eXtremitieS have
never been stained and polluted by con-
tact with the humble one-gallOn kerosene
can or the modest molasses jugi So a
man can sell carloads of bacon and
stacks of dried Goldfish, and. as long as
he only deals with the trade, continue
to be gentleman" But let him dis
pose of single collar, or hymn book.
or watch and chain, or even pearl
necklace, and oh, horrorsi he must
never dream of passing behind the
silken screen which hides the untitled
nobS from the vulgar gaze. 1t is very
sad; but, after all, there may be hope
for the poor retailer, and he may man.
age to drag out tolerably happy exist
ence, even while debarred from the
cultured society of portIy jobbers and
''hullsale'' dealers.
The writer of these notes has never
aSpired to the role of guide, phiIoSo-
pher and friend. He does not partIcu-
larly invite correspondence; but as two
letters out of several received seem to
call for brief answers, here goes to dis
pose of them in bunch.
Ellsmore: Christianity is not respon-
sIble and should not be blamed for the
hypocriSleS and meanneSses of some of
those who profess to he governed by its
principles. There have been Chad
bands and Pecksniffs in every age; but
it should be remembered that the most
whitening depunciatl0nS were hurled
against that despicable class by the
founder of Christianity Himself. Sup
pose you just read your New Tesla
ment: do all the good you can; and
don't get discouraged if you sometimes
come across church member, or maybe
minister, who is ungratefui.
Veronica: Any man writing a let
ter. abiding to lady in coarse terms,
could scarcely be considered gentle
man. After all, the natural disposition
of man has more to do with the mat
ter than is usually supposed. If one
does not start out with honorable in
stincts, it is extremely doubtful whether
any amount of subsequent religious as
sociation will implant them in the char
acter: You perhaps remember Edwin
Arnold's lines:
Raise an evil soul to honor, and
. His evil bentS remain;
Bind ours tail ne'er SO straightly,
Yet it curleth up again.
How in sooth. should Trust and
Honor change the evil natures root?
ThnHVh Wntpred Them VI