Birmingham age-herald., 1895-03-17
SAM JONES' LETTER.
Thoughts on Now Experiences
 and What They Teach Us"
The Recent Severe Weather Teaches the Double Lesson of Charity and Of the Necessity of Prevalent Care
 for tho Future.
lcnpyR1GHr. 1898. 1

days has had unprecedented severe weather. Snow has covered the ground, perhaps, more than one-half of the days of February Sleighing has been as common in Georgia as in Montreal. Skating. snow balling and the many facilities for pleasure and enjoyment have come along with the cold weather and the snow and the ice. Many have enjoyed the features have just named; and yet cold weather and the ground covered with snow means much more to the south than it does to the north, the northeast and the northwest Tens of thousands of our people, both white and colored, are unprcpared to meet the emergencies before them and around them. With many of them the work of to-day furnishes them the bread for to- morrow, and cessation of labor for the week brings them to face the most dire want-no fuel, no food
 The cities and towns all over the south have met the emergency by libcrality conmendable and magnih- cent. What is true in the largest cities is true in smaller circle in the towns. Any man of means and comfort who can sit in front of his warm grate and comfortable and look out upon the chilly surroundings and care nothing for the wants and woes of his neighbors, is as totally heartlcss as an alligator, and as ungrateful as reptile
 suppose every man thinks he is gen. erous. To contribute twenty-five cents he feels is master stroke of benevo- lence. How few of us give up to the measure of our ability and are willing to meet the demands of the situation. "Thc poor ye shall have always with you Society wifi never exist with out the poor, and as millionaires multi ply paupers increase.
 A drought over the North American continent is proof that the Atlantic ocean ebbs fuller than ever before, for it is from her generous mists and in- E censo that clouds are formed and the. showers are given to the land. Mil lions have gone west to the Nebraska and Kansas sufferers. Millions will be- given to the poor in other sections of the United States as well as the south.
 These times have their lesson for us all. It is but a school we call cxpcri- ence. If the lessons are wisely learned, both the rich and poor will come out wiser and better people to meet the is- sues and solve the problems which await us inevitably in the future.
 believe the spirit of generosity is as catching as the spirit of miserliness. Every lesson of generosity we learn and practice, teaches us that it is more blessed to give than to receive. In other words, it is more blessed to be where you can give than where you have to receive. l had rather be a Christian man in a Christian land and give one hundred dollars annually towards the Christianizing of Chinas than to be a poor heathen Chinese and receive the benefit of the one hundred dollars over in China. l had rather be the husband of good wife and the father of vigorous, healthy boys and give one hundred dollars year to an orphans home, than to be little orphan in an orphan home, and receive the benefits purchased by the hundred dollars. I would rather be a man in comfortable circumstances and give till it hurt me to ths poor, than to be num- bered among the poor and receive the benefits which come from anothers charity. It Is more blessed to give than to receive. If those in good circum- stances could learn that lesson well, and the laboring people of our country who are poor could learn the lessons of frugality and economy and lay by in store for rainy day which is to come, this would be different world and better world.
 It is either a misfortune or sin, one or the other, when family in this : country should come to want. Too many of our people live from hand to mouth, and the worst of all is they seem to be satisfied with such living, with nothing laid by to meet emergen- cies and sickness. They are, as rule, as reprehensible for such life as the man, who out of his abundance re- fuses to contribute to the wants of others when they are in distress.
 A man can be hog in two ways. He can be hog by wanting it all and keeping it all for himself if he ca1 get it. But there is another and moro numerous class of hogs who are never satisfied until they eat up everything in sight. If all the hogs in this country had bristles, hair mattresses would be cheaper than mattresses made from shucks.
 Preparations for times like we have just passed through should be made every year. If the severe weather with the snows and the storms did not come, we would be that much better off But If fthey should come let us be prepared to meet them. We must do this on the one side by paying labor all we can, and on the other by the laboring men saving all they can. Itis better to save than to starve. It is better to con- l-sl l.. af 4<,