The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-12-04
BE CHARITABLE.
Womsn Should Not He Toe Ha1ty In He
C0ndemnation Of nm ErrlAg Sister.

WoMan Should Not He Toe Hasty In Her
Condemnstien Of Gn Erriag sister.
1t was on the cars only few days
ago. Behind me sat . middle-aged wom-
On 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, / know she has done wrong,
but do not shut the door OF your heart
her friend. Kindness in trouble is the
very sweetest Of balsams." could not
resist turning in my seat and giving =
glance Of admiration 1t woman who
could give such wise, sympathetic coun-
sci; there was ring Of true, womanly
charity In that remark charity all too
rare In our days.
How often we hear Of society shutting
Its doors to some woman who has made
single misstep in her life! BY . 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 10 ostracized
from homes where formerly she was
favored visitor. Society must be pro-
tected."i is the cry; and to that woman
every opportunity, every channel possi-
BILE for reclamation is cut of. She is
cast adrift, often by family as we'll IS 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 wanders forth-a social exile.
Iyield to no one in advocacy Of pure
and elevating society. Where people
are lax in its social laws every protec-
tion to the sanctity Of the homo Is re.
moved, and all domestic calamities are
possible. But when the purity OF my
homo is to be attained by refusing TO
allow an erring and needy woman to
cross its threshold because Of single
mistake; when by IN 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. believe in uphold
in0 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 1t is best to
throw the mantle of silence. But let us
be little more charitable to the woman
who stumbles by the social wayside. All
our lives and natures are not the same.
Let Ms remember that some of us are en-
dowed with lesser strength Of will and
sel-con troll, than others. Let as think
what we might have done II placed amid
cloudcd surroundings. 1t does Us no
harm sometimes to put ourselves in tho
places Of others Charity is born OF God
should extend it The strong and for
tunate have no need Of It. It Is neither
wise nor human to close our doors too
quickly against some stumbling sister.
Let us think it not unlikely that the
same temptation which has come to her
may sometime como to some member Of
our own family. or to some one dear to
US, and as We would that others would
do unto our own kin and those We love-
SO let rs do unto the flesh and bloM Of
others. We need not abuse social laws
by doing an act Of kindness; We may
abuse one OF Gods own chosen by With
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