The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-02-10

| their needs as units were supplied with
out the flourish of trum pets OF Haunting
of red tape.
You may call me croaker, and say
that times are not now Us they used to
be. True the poor have increased hun
bred fold, but also our riches and resour-
ces have increased and We are better
equipped to do greater work. You say
that the charitable societies and the re-
treats for the poor are SO plentiful and SO
broad in their methods, that they are in
tended to supply with the smallest ex-
penditure of money and effort every
needy PERSONS wants, but indeed they
Go not. There is SO much ceremony, so
much complex machinery, such minute
qualifications necessary to make one
eligible to claim upon these great insti-
tutions that many hungry Lazarus
comes short of an entrance, and stands
just outside where he gets provoking
glilnpses of the lucky ones within, feast
| ing upon tempting viands and reclining
upon downy beds. Such peeps into the
homes of the elect do not tend to content
ment of mind in the non-eleot, for Abra-
hams bosom is too far off and uncertain
in the dim perspective to stimulate their
faith and give them heroic patience in
their present affection. Who of us would
dare to say that we could calmly suffer
the pangs of hunger here even if we
could read our title clear to a heavenly
home-where we shall hunger no more
nor thirst any moref
A little Incident may tell the story bet
ter than mint analysis of different
methods, if you will pardon the apparent
egotism your committee asked for per-
sonal experience. Calling upon a poor
woman lately, and she was one of the
spondent state of mind. Wishing to
avoid the slightest allusion to her posi-
BILE need. of material aid, started various
topics of conversation, but at last fail
ing to cheer her. or to feign cheerfulness
myself. after my little stock OF comfort
to ask if she was in need of any special
thing. "What do need, what do need ?
I need everything" and the very food
gates Of her wants, woes, and wrongs
was opened; and she began piteous out
CRY against all the grand charities of the
day. the imposing structures, expensive
appliances, salaried officials servants, at
tendants and the paraphernalia of sump-
tuous living and yet in none of these
snug harbors safe from life's storms
could she find home. She had told me
that with the dim light of one eye she
could manage to read the daily papers.
but for what? To keep posted on all the
public benefactions, the wills of rich
men, the donors to great organizations,
all the fairs, sales and bazaars, and sup
pers. where one dollar is spent for every
fifty cents put in the treasury? She had
catalogued the name of every individual
benefited, and not one of them halt as
needy as herself. had not one word to
say. There was too much truth in the
story of her wrongs. it was Of no use for
me to argue with her, or to talk Of the
teohnicalities of the law, OF the Difficult
ties of disbursing public trusts; was
ashamed to make pretence of oonsoling
her, or to point her to Gods loving hand.
which had dealt out a plenty to me and
left her void Of home and the very ne
cessities of existence. I beat a retreat
orest-fallen and detected, but firmly re-
solved that while dollar of the Walker
fund remained in tie treasury it would
become me better to visit my rich
friends, to cultivate mammon. and quit
the homes of the poor, who looked upon
me in any light than that of minister
ing angel. While we must not depreci-
ate the value to the community of our
organized charities let US not forget tho
hand to hand quiet alms-giving. Allow
me to speak word of appeal for two
particular charities, the one our Protes-
tant Orphan Asylum, no longer Female
Orphan Asylum, founded in 1928, being
the Oldest organized charity in Portland !;
it has outlived many of it's friends and
supporters; and the other the workroom
connected with the Associated Charities,
which on account Of it's youth and mex
perience needs your encouragement
The obstacles between the rich and
the poor are want of discretion on the
part of the rich and want of perception
on the part of the poor. The former may
defeat their object by too lavish giving
and lack of sympathy; the latter, by lack
of gratitude and realization of the spirit
of the efforts to help them.
Mrs. Baxter related an incident of her
experience where too lavish giving had
utterly defeated the real object of philan-
thropy. Many women fail to realize the
harm they inflict upon their own chill
dren and our communities when they
bestow ill-considered charity upon
strangers. The reputation that years ago
our country had in Europe of being full
of bounty for the poor has attracted
ever since swarm of paupers and crimi-
nails from the old world, allured by the
prospect of support here, while they fix
their fangs upon the very vitals Of our
institutions.
She related story Of a whole family
that had reached Maine as the gateway
of the promised land. They located here
in Portland and for five years lived here