The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1890-12-02
The Blessedness OF Giving.

Charles Dudley warner IN III nper's Magazine.
There must b something very good
i'll human nature, or people would not
experience so much pleasure in Civ.
ing; there must be something very
bad in human nature, or more peo-
pie would try the experiment: of Civ
ing. Those who do try it become
enamored of it, and get their chief
pleasure i'll life out oft I; and so evid-
ent is this that there is some basis for
the idea that it is ignorance rather
than badness which keeps so many
people from being generous. OF
course it may become sort of dissipa.
ton, or more than that, a devastation,
ss many men who have what are
called good wives" have reason to
know, in the gradual disappearance
of their wardrobe if they chance TO
lay aside any of temporarily. The
amount that good woman Can give
away is only measured py her oppor-
tunity. Her mind becomes SO trained
in the mystery of this pleasure that
she experiences no thrill of delight in
giving away the only things her hus-
band does not want. Her Office in
life is to teach him the joy Of self
sacrifice. She and all other hsbitual
and irreclaimable givers soon find out
that there ia next to No pleasure in a
gilt unless it involves some self-deDial.
Let one consider seriously whether be
ever gets as much satisfaction out of
a gift received as much of one given
1t pleases him for the momeut, aud if
it is useful, foI long time; he turns
it over, and admires it; he may value
it as a token ofaHection aud it fatters
his self esteem that he is the object of
it. But it is a transient feeling Con.
pared with that he has when he has
made gift. That substantially min.
listers TO his self esteem. He follows
the gift; he dwells upon the delight
of the receiver /: his imagination plays
about it; it will never wear out or
become stale; having parted with it,
it is for him lasting possession. 1t
is an investment IS lasting as that in
the debt of England. Like good
deed, it grows, and is continually
satisfactory. 1t is something to think
Of when he first wakes in the m3rning
a time when most people are badly
put to it for want OF something pleas
ant to think of. This fact about
giving is so incontestably true that
it is wonder that enlightened people
dc not more freely indulge in giving
for there own comfort. 1t is, above
all else, Amazing that 50 many imagine
they are going to get any satisfaction
ont of what they leave by will. They
may be in a state where they will en-
Joy it, if the wi is not fought over
but it is shocking how little gratitude
there is accorded to departed giver
compared to living giver.
He couldn't take the property with
him, it is said he was obliged to leave
it to somebody. By this thought his
generosity is always reduced to a
minimum. He may build a monu-
ment to himself in some institution,
bu. We do not know enough of the
world to which he has gone to know
whether a tiny monument on this
earth is any satisfaction to a person
who is free of the universe. Whereas
every giving or deed ofreal humanity
done while he was living would have
entered into his character, and would of
be lasting service to him-that is, in
any future which we can conceive.
Children Crv FIR PAeba.y. ce.so,s.I