The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-26

has an income of $50, 900 every year. She
was the daughter of a poor farmer of YER
mont, and at 8 years old she hired out as a
servant at % cents a week. She grew up
in that humble place very handsome and
very studious, attractive and intellectual
and at 20 she married the millionaire
Thompson. who died twenty-five years
later and left her his fortune.
The last tiae called on her she had Just
gone upstairs" the maid said, but would be
do wn in minute. / waited in the parlor.
When at last she appeared it was obvious
that she was distressed about something,
and rose AND tried to take my leave. She
stopped me and said: "Nol NOD l am sorry
l cannot conceal that am in trouble. The
plain fact "a that have been crying. You
see that pile OF letters on tie lounge. l
have just opened them. Most OF them are
begging letters, asking gifts, asking 'leans
and they have set me TO thinking. o! be
lieve my money has never done anybody
any goodl
THE EVIL OF oNB SORT OF GIVING.
"For twenty years have sown it like
chaff-given away $4,000 every year, and
it seems to have produced only misery. 1t
sent to a drunkard's grave member of my
own family. IL has alIenated my best
friends. 1t appears to have helped nobody
for more than an hour. hardly now hear
word from those have helped except
WHEN tu6y tell me IL ID al BOue duu IneJ
want some more. l don't know which way
to turn. am at bay. have money and
am afraid to bestow it in answer to any of
these letters"
tried to plead for her philanthropies.
'You must have brought immense relief to
many poor people, l said. "The $l50,000
you have spent to provide heads of families
with work"
Doesn't seem to have done much good"
she interrupted. at is skill and industry
aud steadfast qualities that win permanent
situations-help from within rather than
from without. l have found that out-from
these letters. partly"
Your gift Of $500 to every settler in
Saline county, Kansas"
Better" she said But you would be
amused and saddened by the strange letters
/ get from there"
1.-THE Vassar College telescope, the song
service for the poor, the great science fund,
the Carpenters Emancipation Signing
hanging on the walls in the Senate chamber
in Washington, all speak for the wisdom of
your benefactions," l insisted; land no
woman in the world but you, not even the
Presidents wife, has the freedom of the
floor OF congress. Is not that somethingp
THE PROBLEM OF PHILANTHROPY.
Eyes, yes," she answered; "but all falls
so short of what meant II only knew
how to give away 800 900 this year, and
have every dollar do good SO much of my
money has disabled and crippled honest
men, made them lazy and spiritless and de-
pendent-multiplied beggars instead of di
minishing them-I arraign myself at the
bar of conscience for my bad stewardship"
Mrs. Thompson has done as well as the
most of them. She Is a constant student
OF economics, mainly-prQgressive reform
atory, an agnostic, believe. brilliant in
conversation, gifted in apt quotation, and
il she had been ''in the swim" fifty years
ago her square intellectual face would have
been seen with those of Emerson. Margaret
Fuller, Charles A. Dana and the transcen-
dentalists at Brook Farm.
HERE ARE TWO MORE OPINIONS.
talked with Peter Cooper during his
very last days on the relation of million
aire to the public.
81 have been luckier than most OF EN-"
he chuckled, 'for have been the executor
of my own will. | have seen the institute
finished and at work for good; but there are
so many other things l want to do for the
relief of the wage earners-" and he gave
to me a great bundle Of his printed schemes
for lettering the copdition of the poor.
Another "magnate," whose name do not
feel at liberty TO mention, once said to me:
THE men who do the most good in this
world are not the professional philanthro-
pists, but the great capitalists who keep
their money busy in processes of reproduce
ton. The mon who equips and keeps going
great factory does more good that he who
builds an alms house, and he who launches
steamship or establishes railroad confers
more benefit on the world than he who
endows an asylum that will keep thousands
from starving. He who teaches men to
help themselves-he is the real benefactor Of
his kind"