The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-27
OUR SUNDAY COLUMN.
Original and Otherwise-Pre-
pared by Mark.
M 90

wall? If not, you will hear it. Its a
wall that shall never cease; distress
that shall never be- wholly relieved in
this state Of sin ard suffering. 1t can
be al.cviated, but not permanently
healed in this life. The poor shall
never cease out of the land is tho de-
cree of God in tho Old Testament, and
The poor ye have always with you" is
the declaration of the Now Testament.
And why is thts?" asks the small soul.
why this constant wall of want and
perpetual demand upon our accumula-
tions?"
1t is for our good Without the CRY
OF the poor the springs OF humanity
would dry up. Man would be cold,
dead fact without sympathy, sentiment
or love. we are admonished TO do good
and communicate. This is a service
God tells us in His word not TO forget.
10 minister to tho wants of the needy is
a delightful exercise, and when done
from principle is q wonderful evidence
OF the goodness of the heart. There is
blessed reflex influence in such serv-
ice as this. 1t is the way to cultivate
the life and power of religion in our
souls. II man never sees the distress
OF his fellow creatures and follow Chris.
tians his heart will bo comparatively
hardened against them.
1t is by mingling tears with them, by
hearing tho tale of human woe and
dropping q tear of sympathy and com
munlcating little, or according to our
ability, to their relief, that our own
souls bocomo gradually softened and
assimi ated into q spirit OF tender COM
OISSlOn. Il lS nv thiC mn ~
love OF Christ and the spirit of Christ
Will be gradually predominant in our
minds. Why aro some men and soulo
women 40 selfish ana SO unhappy? Be
cause they mover Listen 10 the cry Of the
poor, and never go out in search OF the
needy. They stay at home or shut
them solves up in themselves and cnioy,
or try to enjoy, their own comforts with
out one thought of the comfort of others.
They never visit the sick and tiiicted:
they never visit the habi:ations of the
needy, hence the springs of sensibilivy
arc dried up in their soul and there is
with them want that wealth can never
supply-the want of blessing of the
God OF the poor and tho want of the
smile of Heaven.
Whose stoppeth his ears to the cry
OF the poor, he also shall cry himself,
but shall not be heard"
We have several classes of poor in
Roanoke, but we must be- cautious how
we discriminate.
There arc the worthy and deserving
poor--men, women and children who
are the victims OF uncomfortable cir
cumstances; men and women with in
firm bodies, without income, unable to
work and nothing laid away for rainy
day. Such poverty deserves and de-
mAnQS Symn2thU and tipo1u 81
aid. Such poverty is often associated,
not only with great intelligence. but
with virtue and piety of high order.
Some of Gods most precious jewels are
to be found among the worthy poor.
Many OF the worthy poor have seen
better days. Tho poverty of those who
have always been poor is misery, but it
ia misery that does not wiring and sting
tho heart like tho poverty of those who
have seen better days" This is a
poverty that cannot bear the sight of
men.
Many, like the poet Cowper with his
secret griefs, seek to veil their poverty
from the world and nurse their destitu.
tion in silence and sadness and tears.
Tho poverty OF the formerly affiuent
preys upon the heart and corrodes the
mind. 1t avoids the light of day, and
ever shuns. ct times, the presence OF
tnose whom God sends with relief
J hese cases of distress and want must
be kindly, diligently and delicately
sought out. and our charities in their
relief must be seasoned with tender
ness
Some OF these deserving poor arc the
victims Of social oppression. BY this
l mean that they have been pillaged
and reduced to poverty by those who
hf.rt
says Ruskin, (which are used against
the poor arc just those worldly embar.
easements which either their ignorance
or their improvidcnce are almost certain
at some time or other to bring them
into; then. instead OF helping thom, or
teaching them how 20 manage better in
the future, there is q rush to pillago
them and forco all that is left out of
them in their diversity" Its said that
the old barons of the middle ages used
the thumb screw to extort property; in
the 10th century hunger and domestic
affiiction are used; but the spirit and op-
preston of extortion remain precisely
the same.
But If you have importuned the man
OF means to take your property and you
have set YOUR own price and property
has advanced and now he is richer and
you are poorer do not charge him
with extortion and abuse him as
oae who is grinding the poor. There is
too much of this in Roanoke. I believe
that the rich men of Roanoke have not
fattened off of the poor, but they are the
friends of the poor. And IL you have
made bad bargain and are the poor or
by 1t do not charge your poverty on that
Other man, when you know you did your
level best to get the best of the bargain.
But this is depression. l am talk
ing about the worthy poor. Let us hear
their cry and help them.