The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1895-05-16
N, N. c., THURSDAY, MAY l6, 1895.
HELPING ONES NEIGHBOR.
We Should Not Live For Ourselves
Alone-Observing the Golden Rule.

Although the golden rule is too lit
tie regarded, there are many pleasant
examples of neighborly kind ness to be
found, and it is somewhat astonishing
tnat the qualification derived by all
concerned from good deeds does not
incite to more frequent expressions oil
sympathy or affection. In the pres
ence of disaster everybody is aroused
TO sympathy, and there is pleasurable
excitement and emulation in the ef-
fort to extend help to the sufferers.
Everybody feels better for having been
stirred up to good deeds, and yet they
have only followed the Golden Rule.
They have set aside their selhshness for
the moment, have considered the dis
tresses Of others, and have lent a help
ing hand to their neighbors. An ap-
proving conscience has awarded them
and has made them feel, at least for
the moment, that "it is better to give
than to receive"
With such experiences, why do they
relapse into selfishness and refuse to
take any further interest in their neigh
bors' affalrs9 They have all about them
cases Of distress as great to the sufferer
as those that reused their pity when
they first heard of the great disaster
and of its numerous victims. But tine
individual case makes less impression
upon them. There are other people
who can attend 10 isolated cases OF
want or suffering, and so the selfish
man buttons up his pocket and what is
worse, closes up his heart against ap-
peals made for assistance. The refusal
OF help that costs something in money
might be forgiven, but not the refusal
of sympathy and of the help that
comes from wise counsel or guidance.
Leaving out of consideration help for
ones neighbor in the form of gifts or
of charity, there is wide field open
for the application of the Golden Rule
in other ways. A helpless woman may
have little property which is in dan
ger of being sacrificed to the greed Of
other people solely because she is not
versed in the law and does not know
how to protect herself Active inter-
ference on her behalf by kindly
neighbor, disinterested advice or tenn
porary money help may serve to re-
lieve her of all difficulties and dangers,
aud save for her little competency.
There is here no element of charity
or gift-givlng; to be neighborly in such
a case requires only sympathy, advice
and direction, yet it may accomplish
as much good as large gift of money.
If man should fall in the street the
passer by, however churlish, would
help him to his feet; why should he
not be as kindly when the fall has
been 6gurative? Franklin proposed
once to establish perpetual helping
fund. When he met a worthy man
needing help he was to advance him a
certain sum as loan, to be repaid by
the recipient when he was able to do
so, not to Franklin, but as loan to a
successor in distress, and so on in a
never-ending chain. There is not
much doubt that the chain would soon
be broken, but the principle is right,
and if all men should even try to fol-
low the Golden Rule such a system
would enable one fve-dollar bill to re-
lieve as many cases of distress as it
now pays debts.
A modification of Franklin's plan
has been tried by philanthropist with
such measure of success as to please
him. Having noticed the benefits
sometimes conferred upon business ac-
quaintances through loans to tide them
over difficulties, he made a special de-
posit in bank for this use. When an
appeal was made to him for help he
would explain to the borrower the
character of the fund from which the
loan was to be taken, and that, unless
it should be returned the fund availa-
BILE for such use would be diminished.