The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-15
THE IMPROVEMENT POOR.
The ShiftIess Ways Of Some Beneficf-
aries of Charity Are Amusing.


Boston Transcript
Il like the shiftless poor' said the little
lady whose charity work is done apart from
all organizations. II don't know why the
poor shouldn't be ShIftleSS II they want TO,
as well people who are better off. We
all know plenty OF people who have a little
money who are just as shiftless as they can
be, who couldn't possibly take care of Them
selves IL they We're thrown on their own
resources. In fact they have no resources
to be thrown on They make others do
erythinS for them that they might do for
themselves, and wouldn't do any work I'M
der any pretelSe. / remember once, when
/ took an interest in the poor under the di-
rection of a society was asked what kind
Of a poor family / would like to take, and
| deliberately asked for shiftless one:
There was one family that nobody ever had
had any luck with. OF course 1 didn't have
any either. didn't expect to, but L had
beautiful time seeing how absolutely and
artiStically careless and irresponsible my
feilow-beings can be-"
prince Wolkonsky says that the best
we can hope for is to learn to regard them
as our fellow-beingS and to help them 10
see that we are not above Them" put in
another voice Then they all began telling
tales of the improvident poor There was
with six children-the poor always have six
children-who was to be turned out OF her
rooms at the North End because she owed
for rent. She was given 50, so that she
could pay her rent and get food for her
hungry children. That afternoon the lady
who had given her the money was driving,
and she saw the poor widow proceeding up
Commonwealth avenue in a victoria, with
her smiling flock of little ones about her.
The giver could not believe her eyes, and
went next day to see the poor widow, who
said "Oh, yes, that me, ma'am. The
children have been wanting nice ride for
a long time, and | felt l ought to give il
TO them while / had the money. L thought
the rent would get paid somehow"
The next story was of a very needy and
very clever young girl for whom place
had been found down town where she could
earn four dollars a week 10 begin with.
She was sadly in need of boots and a dress
TO wear TO her work. On the day she re-
ceived her first four dollars, the friend who
found the place for her was down town
shopping, and took her to lunch at a
restaurant at the noon hour The young
girl went into a store with her friend for
a few minutes afterward, and when the
woman of fortune turned round from the
purchase of some fifteen-cent handkerchiefs.
she saw the possessor of four dollars calm
ly paying out sixty cents for two cakes OF
some fine toilet soap, and a dollar and
quarter for some scent Il have always
been in need of these. All my life / have
wanted Them" said the young girl with an
enchanting smile, and no sign of apology
in her voice, but rather with the musical
tones of gratifed longing.
The third tale was of man out of work
who was obliged TO pawn his gold watch.
and was i'll for a long time and lost Ii alto
gether. not getting money to redeem il be-
fore the expiration OF its time. place
found for him To work when he got well,
at twelve dollars a week. He promptly
went and engaged a new watch on paw
ments of two dollars a week, although the
rest OF his pay was attached by long-suf-
fering grocer.
81 have heard of a case said the next
speaker pensively, 'of a case where $500
was raised for the widow and children OF
a man who had met a fatal accident, and
the widow went out and paid $3.50 cash down
slap-dash for a piano" But for really thor
ough inconsequence. of q sort % melt the
soul of Micawber himself. all were COM
mended to the story of a poor sick widow
who lay perishing OF Il slow and torturing
illness, who sent out and sold the ielies
and broths which "A kind woman brought
her because. she said. she felr she wnnted
TO get a little money together 10 buy herself
a few nice things in case, when she got up.
she should be wanting TO get ready 10 be
married again.