Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-01-14
woRKAND THE SPIRIT OF WORK.

szDrE nv hobby. Food and money are
of little benefit to the poor, except as
temporary bridges. 1t Is work and the
spirit of work that they need. 1t is
simply wonderful the permanent good
that may be done, the results that may
be reached by judicious direction OF
mind. The unfor tunate born and bred
are like helmless vessels. They must
be steered Alright. OF course, if they
were all perfectly born they would not
be ssunfortrnate." Few of us are per-
fectly born. All goodness like fortune
is comparative. Some have talent, some
genius, some evil, some elements OF
great good born in them--the poor and
the rich alike in greater or less de-
gree.
Some are born without the power to
forsee. These are our poor.
What do regard as the prime source
OF poverty Flaws in the system OF
the time first of all, but of this have
nothing to say. My place is to take
things as find them and better what 1
can.
General lack of backbone" under
lies all permanent poverty. The dis
position is built on straw and wax. 1t
topples over with every blast: Care
lessness ingratitude, love OF drink, dis
regard of consequence, shiftlessness,
hatred of exertion. short-sightedness,
jealousy, strong appetite and weak
will, are all parts of the poverty as well
as lack of money. We must expect to
find, bear with, and treat disposition as
well as stomach and purse.
Discouraging? Yes, to those who
expect deformity to be symmetrical as
perfection and weakness strong as
strength; but full of reward to those
who look the matter in the eyes and do
not expect to "gather figs of thistles."
No thoughtful human being can sit
down in the midst OF luxury in city
like this. fold the hands and say "Devil
take the hindmost, they deserve their
place" Not even those who have
themselves come up from the ranks
self-made men and women dare take
this view. Were they not started in
life with q capital of character, fore
thought, intelligence, reason and will
upon which they simply have built?
Otherwise they too to-day would be
"hindmost."
l find amongst all classes Of poor and
everywhere, q frightfully false estimate
of work and its standards. A false idea
of equality has killed the idea that all
olork is equal hatis equally t0eu done!
This is the prime source of our distress.
Men and women strain and strive,
and bury themselves in "genteel en-
pigments and die in "genteeP'
wretchedness. People do not follow
individual instincts and abilities, but
the careers of others wholly different
They become poor imitators instead of
good workers. Indeed the rich have
taught the poor disgust for all labor
and special contempt for that which is
manual. Too we'll has the lesson been
learned.
Many a brilliant career lies IN the
manual ard mechanical field, if only
people would believe it and make ex-
cellence OF work, not tardiness of posi-
ton the standard.
Again; L reverence our educational
institutions, but must say that false
estimate of education is at the bottom
OF much of our distress. There is too
much time gwen to schooling" and
"learnIEg" by those who have neither
talent nor opportunity for utilizing it.
Many would be better off rolling bar
rels and driving teams with the pros
pect of making one and owning the
other, than they ever can become thro'
feeble clerking, writing, acting, paint
ing and teaching. A little education
but gives them false ideas, and they
cannot get enough to make them wise.
Poor people scrimp and save and i'm
poverish themselves to send sons and
daughters to school and college, who
would much better be at home provid-
ing comforts, food and clothing, for
sisters, mothers and sick faith ars. CT
course, those of decided literary and
scholastic tastes will become scholars,
but there is a great herd of mistaken
ones selling substance for shadow in
this regard.
"There is too disastrously fa'se es-
innate of dress amongst our poor, for
which the well off are also responsible.
Straining after the impossible has
created demand for and supply of
worthless imitation in ell departments
of cl0t hing which swallows money like
fire and keeps the poor, poor.
There is absolutely no dress sense
whatever, left amongst our moneyless
women, of America.
The peasantry of any country but
this accepts its conditions, lives in ac-
cordancs with them. They dress pic
ture! gu sly, comfortably and easily an
peasant costume. They live the mean
time enjoying life aud save money.
Our poor, both workers and idlers,
dress in rag limitations Of their betters,
imagining that they are thus made
equal with them. The result is dis
tress uuutterable to themselves and to
those who look at them.
Most of all blame the women OF the
poor for the miserable condition of
their homes and families. And in this
most of all do they follow the preced-
ent set them by their more fortunate
sisters.
They have absolutely no housewifely
instincts, nor do they desire to have
them. They want to put everything
on their backs. They think and fuss
only about clothes and going out even
ings in the winter, and badger their
husbands about trips in the summer.
They read sloppy books, sit around
and gossip, drink many OF them. They
simply will not turn their attention
TO the tidying and comfort making of
their homes. They make no effort
whatever, to keep husband and sors
faithful and happy. The continual dis
order, and discomfort at home is the
source of much intemperance.
They buy refuse stuff from the stores
rather than exert themselves to make
healthful food from ingredients. They
never think of making up frugal and
palatable dishes, but patronIze butcher,
baker and grocer, run in debt and ruin
the health of the family. This feature
OF poverty annoys, irritates and dis
oourages charitable helpers more than
any other that exists. But then we
must take this too, bear with it as with
the rest, and lift them out Of it little
little.
One trouble with charitable cooking
schools, they use implements fit for
Partisan chefs, and teach the making
of omeless when eggs are 60 cents a
dozen. We must go into heir homes
and teach them to utilize the poor ma