Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-12-13
The Blessedness of Giving,

lneft nlusl We eo'iitthibS WY
good in human nature. or people
would not experience so much pleas
ure in giving; there NUT I've some
thing very bad in human nature, or
more people would try the eNperi-
nent of giving. Those who do try
II become enamored of II; and get
their chief pleasures In life out OF 1t;
and so evident is this that there Is
some basis tor the idea that II is ig-
porance rather than badness which
keeps sn many people from being
generous. OF course 1t may become
a sort OF dissipation. or more titan
that. devastation, as 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 ot it temporarily. The amount
that a good woman can give away ia
only measured by her opportunity.
Her mind becomes So trained in the
mystery of this pleasure that she ex.
periences no thrill of delight IN Civ
ing away only the things her hus-
band does not want. Her Office in
life is to teach him the joy of self
sacrifice. She and all other habitu-
al and irreclaimableg givers soon find
nut that there il next to no pleasure
In gift unless II involves some self
denial.
Let one consider seriously whether
he ever gets as much satisfaction out
of gift received as out of one given.
II pleases him for the moment, and
If II is useful, for long time; he
turns il over. and admires 1t; he may
value il as Il token of affection, and
II iiatters his self-esteem that he il
the object of it. But it is a tran-
steut feeling compared with that
which he has when he has made Il
gift. That substantially ministers to
his self-e,teem. He follows the gift;
he dUe,ls upon the delight Of the re-
ceiver; his Imagination plays about
1t: IL will never wear out or become
stale; having parted with II, 1t is for
him lasting possession. Il j. an
investment ~ lasting as that in the
debt of England. Like good deed.
il grows, and il continually satisfac-
tory. 1t is something to think of
when he first wakes in the morning
"a time when most people are badly
put to it for want of something
pleasant To think of. This fact
about giving is So incontestably true
that it is wonder that enlightened
people do not more freely indulge in
giving for their own comfort. Ii is
above all else, amazing that SO many
imagine that they are going tn get
any satisfaction out of what they
leave by VIII. They may be in a
state where they will enjoy it. ifthe
will is not fought over; but it il
shocking how little gratitude there
Is accorded to a departed giver as
compared to living giver. He
couldn't take the property with, hIm
it il said he was Obliged to lave il
tu somebody. By this though his
generosity is always reduced 10 a
minium. He may build monu-
nent to himself in some institution,
but We do not know enough OF the
world To which he has gone to know
whether IA tiny monument Oh this
earth is any satisfaction to a person
who is free OF the universe. Where
n, every giving or deed Of real hu-
niauity done while he was living
would have entered into his charac-
ter, and would be Of lasting service
10 hiln-that Is, in any future which
we can conceive. Charles Dudley
Warner. ia Harntr'S for Deceinber.