Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-03-27
sLEssEpNEss OF GIVING.
Philosophy of Making Gifts and w,

PHILOSOPHY of Making Gifts and whv
Doing So Gives One Pleasure.
There must be something very good in
human nature or people would not ex.
perience SO much pleasure in giving:
there must be something very bad in
human nature or more people would try
tne experiment Of giving. Those who
40 try 1t become enamored of il and get
thelr chief pleasure in life out of it; and
so evident is this that there is some basis
Tor the idea that it is ignorance rather
IMAM badness which keeps SO many peo-
PIE from being generous. OF course it
may become a sort of dissipation, or
more than that, devastation, as many
men who have what are called "pood
wives" have reason to know, in the grad
uai disappearance of their wardrobe if
they chance to lay aside any of it tenn
porarily.
Inc amount that good woman can
give away is only measured by her OBJ
portunlty. Her mind becomes SO trained
IN the mystery of this pleasure that she
experiences no thrill of delight in giving
away only the things her husband does
not want. Her Office in life is to teach
MN the JOY Of self sacrifice. She and
all other habitual and irreclaimable
glvers soon find out that there is next to
no pleasure in gift unless it involves
some self denial.
Let one consider seriously whether he
ever gets as much satisfaction out of a
gift received as out of one given. 1t
pleases him for the moment, and, it is
useful, for long time; he turns it over
and admires it; he may value it as a
token OF affection, and it fatters his self
esteem that he is the object of it. But
II Is transient feeling compared with
that he has when he has made a gift.
That substantially ministers 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 as lasting as that
in the debt Of England. Like a good
deed, it grows, and is continually satis
factory. 1t is something to think oil
when he first wakes in the mornings
time when most people are badly put t.
1T for want of something pleasant tC
think of. This fact about giving is Sc
incontestably true that it is wonder
that enlightened people do not NOR,
freely indulge in giving for their owl
comfort. 1t is, above all else, amazing
that so many imagine they are going t.
get any satisfaction out of what the,
leave by will. They may be in stat,
where they will enjoy it if the will i
not fought over; but it is shocking how
little gratitude there is accorded to de
parted giver compared TO a living giver
He couldn't take the property with him
, it is said; he was obliged to leave it t.
, somebody.
By this thought his generosity is al
: ways reduced to IA minimum. He ma
build monument to himself in some in
stitution, but we do not know enough O
the world to which he has gone to know
whether tiny monument ON this cart
is any satisfaction to a person who
} free of the universe. Whereas ever
t giving or deed of real humanity don
3 while he was living would have entere
into his character, and would be of last
ing service to him-that is in any futsr
which we can conceiye.-Charles Dude
q Warner in Harper's