The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1894-12-22
Charity.
COCK APwo.

Forum for December, says: sour word
charity has strayed away from the 'tapic'
Of. the Greek, which slgnitied the treating
of person kindly, as if he were of the
same kind or kin as ones self. 1t is chiefly
with the desire to make clear the meaning
of the word charity, and to urge q new
standard Of kindness that have gathered
together few stories Of our neighbors of
the college settlements in New York city
as they have come to US through this terri
bic year of distress. The college settle
ment is simply several Young women -~ha
are trying to be friends to those who are
near them aud We learn to know much Of
the lives Of many of Our neighbors, Many
know something of the sorrows and suffer-
ings Of the poor, but it is a privilege Civ
en- to only q few to know we'll their every
day home lite.
Through ali the past year of distress,
though the rich has given thousands of
dollars, it Is the poor who have given
most freely. There is no way o.; caicu-
lating the kind of deeds Of Heixhbor to
nsighbsr till the Judgment day. The only
natural form of relief is the help given by
friend to friend. When feeble old man
without relatives and absolutely penniless
was asked by friend of mine if he ever
suffered from hunger, Never he answered.
My friend asked him, what do you do y
aud he replied promptly, 4 go and get
something There was always ready for
him in some neighbor's house pail of
soup or a bowl of coffee. 1t is q painful
fact that charity has been made SO repul-
sive that even many Of those who are in
great distress are unwilling to accept help.
One woman who was accidentally dis
covered without fire on bitterly cold
day refused to receive coal from relief
society, even though she had begun to
pawn her bedding. Many of the trades
unions were able to help their own most
effectively. The Tin and Sheet-iron
Workers Association numbers $50 mem
bers and besides donating 5000 when it
was most needed, they lent $1,5oo TO be
repaid to the uniop, .paynents., to begin
three months after work was found. 1t is
SAID that Typographical Union No. 6
distributed wisely $4,000. Many other
unions did similarly efficient work. -,
''Thers is many rich man seated to-day
with easy conscience at a table shining
With cut glaes and silver, who would be
ready to stretch out helping hand to
those who neeed it, if they were not all 40
far away Ne is living in another world.
What he does is to make his annual contri-
buttons to our charitable societies, and
that is all. Some day we shall begin to
calculate the evil resulting from such con
tributions. Again and again Is it true of
the charity Of, to-day that 1T surseth him
who gives and him who takes One is
is often asked the question: 'What can the
rich man do for the relief of suffering? I
believe that there is but one answer: Let
him give not aims bnt himself, and the
wisdom comes with the giving, know a
young apprentice IN great machine shop
who was stricken down with consumption.
His parents were old and feeble, and it
was only through the gifts Of his employer
that his last days were made comfortable,
but more to them all than the gifts wsa
the fact that the employer came himself
to the little home in the East.side tene'
msnt, and spoke friendly words. From
every suoh natural friendship there grow
more and more chsnces for hslpfulness
and for that truest of all chsrities-ths
| tFerting Of others as if they were Of ou'
! tand.