The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1896-12-03
GENEROUS IMPULSES.
MOTIVES FROM WHICH THEY SPRING
SOMETIMES MISJUDGED.


MOTIVES FROM WHICH THEY SPRING
SOMETIMES. MISJUDGED.
Figuratively Speaking They Come
From the Heart or are the Product
of Emotions, and are Therefore Not
as Safe Guides as Reason Provides
And Yet the Best Men Allow Their
...lmpulses !. Some Play.
Generous impulses are only varie-
ties of good intentions, and, like
like the latter, are of value only when
acted upon. Great numbers of people
who do nothing for their fellow
have at times generous impulses, but
control them. >. Moved by some story
of distress or inspired by the good
work done by a public institution,
they resolve to devote part of their
means to the relief OF the distressed or
the promotion Of charity. They feel
better for the impulse and not inlre-
quently gain in their own estimation
because they have been moved to do
good. But they delay action until
their ardor has cooled off and then
they begin to seek excuses for not car
rying out their generous intentions.
Sometimes they will 60 so far as to
withdraw subscription or break
promise rather than carry out a gen
erous impulse. 1t is, Of course, desi-
rable to keep all impulses under the
control Of reason.
Figuratively speaking, .they come
from the heart or are the product of
emotions, and are, therefore, not as
safe guides as ..reasoh"'provides, and
yet the best men allow their impulses
some play. They are generally right,
in direction at least,sand need only
to be kept in check by prudence. The
cupidity Of men is often exhibited by
their repentance of generous deeds.
One curious instance was exhibited in
little town where the chief land
owner set aside what was at the time
a useless block of ground for a public
square. 1t had required no great sac
rihce on his part to become a public
benefactor, and he enjoyed the dis
,inc,ion it gave him. But he (qui,e
innocently)neglected the little. formal
ity Of transferring the title Of the
property to the borough. He had
said i, was to be public park and
that seemed to be sufficient. In the
course Of few years, however, land
began to appreciate in value, abou,
the park, and the value of the public
ground became SO great that he could
not resist the temptation to sell it, and
thus the park disappeared, and with it
his generous impulse.
Scores of men volunteer to do some
public work without pay, and after
the first flush of generous impulse has
passed away begin to think how they
can make their labor turn TO their per-
sonal account. The commonest form
of this slrangling of a generous impulse
is where directors of a charity begin
| bv doing work for i. without charge
then charge for supplies and labor at
cost, then add prof, and end by viz
tually robbing the charity through ex
tortion. Very few who end in this
way start with any intention to do
wrong. Their first inspiration is a
generous impulse of which they repent.
"A well-governed man does not re-
press his generous impulses, nor does
he allow himself to be carried away by
them. He gives them due considera
ton, and when he finds that he Can
| follow them he does So with no thought
of turning back. 1t is not proper, per
haps, to examine in specific cases the
motives that inspire generous deeds,
but j, may be observed in general tina,
they are sometimes dictated by vanity
or the desire for no,oriety.
They may not for that reason be
any less beneficial TO The subjects Of
such generosity, and, therefore, il
would be unwise TO condemn one whu
is moved 10 help others by motive:
that are deemed unworthy, but each
man can mould his own character sc
that the generous impulses he may
have may not have a selfish inspira-
ton. To do SO he must Jingle witt
his fellowmen and cultivate his sym
pa,hies so that his heart will be quiCkl !,
responsive TO cries Of distress or ap,
peals for help. That Is the only way
t. buy happiness with money. Il
cannot be bought, like gros-er things
with money alone; but IN great abun
dance with money that Is given ava!
from pure and generous motives
guided by sound sense and reason.