The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-18
AN ALTRUISTIC CLUB.
It Embracoo tho Noolcct To2oA-
Tags Of Mankind.

A Ennd OF Public Spirited Men Who Arc
Intoros OIL in tho Problem, of Lilo. mi
tho ncttormcnt OF Soc al
Conditions.
In his department of Social Prob
lens" in tho Cosmopolitan Edward
Evcrott Hale tells of n Boston club to
whic!, no belongs, the substantial busi-
ness OF which IL expressed in this article
OF it, constitution: "rhis club exists to
find out how other people live" After
describing the original plan, which was
abandoned rs i:apracticablc for the end
in view, EIr. Hale tells how the club
was finally brought into being.
what VIC did," he says, twas TO
bring together sixty young men, pretty
much by accident, nnd then take our
chances of adding other people who
were Interested in tho life of Boston
and its social systcrn-always glad il
In making good choice, ns far Us other
qualities went, we cot in q now occupa-
ton.
''Dut for tho purpose of finding out
how other people live we actually
went to sec. That is, the fir:.t commit
tee the club appointed, and it was n
large one, WIS on cEliyrant ships. We
sent q lot of young fellows down to
quarantine to como up in IN cInigrant
ship and sec how that thing was done.
In just the same lines, from that day to
this, we have let mon volunteer to form
committees for The sake of seeing that
we did not know any thing about
g For instance, we had committee
on tho Mormon worship in Boston. We
had committee on the Italian section,
ono on the Chinese section, one on the
city's orphan asylum, one on all the
hospitals, ono on our Norwegian poDu-
lation- And VIC never had Elorc in
tcrcsting meeting than when an intclli-
gent Norwegian gentleman ccmc round
and told us the pcculicritics of the
Kind enough, MS / remember, among
other things, to bring us sorlc of the
biscuit and sardiAcs which think none
OF uS had ever seen before.
"Nov. you can not go an far as this il
INDUCING your curiosity without roing
further. If you ere good for any thin,
you begin to get into the Same relation
ships that ny ideal John, out il the
territory of franklin, forms rs 4 matter
of course with the burro driver OF with
the washcrwoman. You not only
know by sight the people with vhcra
you arc thrown, but you como into
personal relationships with them.
"If there happens to be q bright boz
living within n quarter of mile of Your
Office, and you happen to make ccQuaiat.
ancc with him one d2y, that acquaint-
nnccship does not drop OF. You and he
get on u moro cordial footing with each
other; you have gained friend and he
has gained another.
''iIow clear it is that it is this sort Of
Civc-and-ta!lc which is necessary for TIC
quiclscning CT the public lie, for
making the circulation from orran t.
organ effective and for tic health Of
the whole body polite. do not want
to be carried away by 4 metaphor, bit
really Mcncnius ASri22a's fable, which
st. PGul borrowed to such ADVANTAGE
cftcrward, tells perfectly. You have 4
healthy body if each part is il close aad
intimate relation with each other part,
if the circulation is good and if tac
circulation il we'll oxygcaatcd.
'Thc object of this present writing is
to show people who &C discouraged
that their business is to b-iny il tAat
public spirit into souls and organs where
there is not enough CT it, 10 that the
life of that community nay be more
active, cheerful aad st.orr Now, this
is done, not N crcly hy attending ward
meeting once year, but by genuine
and cordial intimacy with all sorts OF
people.
'Ezactly as everybody in q county
village knows moro or less of TIC ups
and downs Of forty or fifty households
around hin-cXactly as the life Ct one
person QuiclSens or helps the Life Of an
other person in such L conraunity-i:i it
in the power of man or woman livinr.
in Chicago or New Yorl, to be in such
relationships with forty households of
evcry social condition of life, ENLARGED,
in3piritcd, and, as Mr.. Arnold SAYS,
swcctcncd by the intimacy.
Just so soon as the Christian church
or the ethical philosophers or any of
tho disciples of altruism bring about
this Gtatc of things, co soon will this
country take up again tho liac of march
on which it began. This il the line of
march which historically il called the
Tcutonic, German or English plan. In
it every one paddles his own canoe, but
iH in friendly relations with the rest Of
tac fleet. Everybody l.; his own master,
bat is in friendly relations with people
who know moro than he does.
And Wien TIC administrations of TIC
government loo; for something to &c
with such feet they find that, OF TIC
whole. it Is taking care of itself Poo.
pie who doubt about snch state OF
thiHGa ere Invited to remember with
how little action of the President tho