The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-08-08
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
lie DILArEs UPON THE RARITY
OF CHRISTIAN CHARITY.
The sssong of the Shirt' and "The
Bailif1's Sale" Draw Love and
Praise.

sufficient TO draw love anu praise lIOm
all good people. 1t has kindled kind
" feeling toward him, and what is
better, it has warmed our pity and en-
listed our sympathy for the suffering
poor. How easy it is for hearts to get
hard and charity to grow cold. The
sale of the poor tenants household
goods to pay the landlords rent is
much more common thing than is sup
posed. The picture is not overdrawn.
If it is not sold by the constable it is
by the auctioneer. never pass an
auction sale of old furniture but what
linger and look and ponder. There
is an unwritten chapter of want and
misery in every old bureau and sofa
and chair. There are hearts aching
somewhere. There is sadness under
some roof. II the sale paid the debt
there would be some comfort, but the
costs of court, the drayage and COM
missions, takes about all-for, as Mr..
Hurtel says:
"Such worthless old rubbish will 60
for a song"
'Alas for the rarity of Christian
charity" when the bereaved mother
has to spend her last quarter to buy in
her dead baby's chair. If that did not
really happen, something akin to it is
happening every day in our crowded
cities. What we see when we visit
them is only the sunshine and glitter
that wealth has brought to the favored
few. We walk or ride on Peachtree
and wonder and admire, but who seeks
the dark. alleys where the poor congre-
gate? Judge Bleckley wrote beauti-
full poem, called ga Tale of Two Cities
the City of Life and the City of
Death"-Atlanta and its cemetery; and
his contrast between their inhabitants
is wonderfully graphic and true. But
there is a more pathetic contrast be-
tween the very rich and the very poor
in every crowded metropolis. Some
times we condone our neglect
of POVERTY and suffering by saying
they are not worth befriendipg-they
are ungrateful-they brought their
misery upon themselves-or, If you
feed them and set them up for today
they will want more tomorrow. Some
folks say that private charity is against
public policy, but my experience and
observation is that the best way to
quiet our consciences is to help them
give help in some way. There are q
few professional beggars, but not
enough to impoverish anybody in this
southern country. But those who are
really poor and do actually suffer for
good shelter, good food and comforta-
Bile clothing are many and are increas-
ing in numbers every day.
Ny wife cut out those touching
verses about the bailiff's sale and says
they remind her of Tom Hoods "Song
of the Shirt"
ooh, for one short hour
To feel as used to feel
Before knew the woes of want,
Or the work that costs meal"
That "Song of the Shirt" awakened
all London to the sufferings of poor
women, and it has come down to us
along the corridors of time and quick
ened our sympathies and enlarged our
charities. Oh, that our rich people
would sometimes read it and drop q
tear of sympathy and then go out into
the by-ways and do something for hui
manity's sake. Rockefeller is a great
philanthropist in his way, but George
Peabody will outrank him in the an.
nails of history and the Judgment Of
heaven. Why does not some multi.
millionaire follow his example and pro.
vide cheap homes for the poor of oul
cities? I have heard it said that it wal
Tom Hoods poem that first inspired
him to build cheap lodgings for the
poor of London. His plans for SO do
ing were not carried out for several
; minders. Every now and then a pa
thetic picture must be drawn, q tender
t poem must be written. We must see tn
/ moor woman with the faded SHAWL
..As she wipes with its fringes tear from he
t eye."
Many O man has pity in his breast
and charity in his heart, but it slum
. bers because it does not see the miser.
3 of the unfortunate. Poverty shrink
from the public gaze. 1t hides itsel
and suffers and waits, and hence W
. see large buuS W luOuOJ SoehoASA -
5 the churches to be sent to those ala
2 off when there is more need OF it o
. home. Starving people do not go t
, church nor will they go half clad j
; unseemly garments. The best religio
: languishes from hunger and cold. Tru
Q years, but he could not erase from hi
memory the lines:
Q sThat shattered roof this naked floor,
y A table-a broken chair,
= = And wall go blank my shadow thank
d For sometimes falling there"
L He spent three millions on thos
= lodging houses and they are still
IS comfort to the thousands who occup
n them. Human nature is not so mea
u and selfish as it is thoughtless and fol
- getful. Our best emotions need re
le charity must hunt for distress and n
= lieve il.
y This reminds me of the convicts an
= their pitiless condition. Most of thel
1t deserve their fate, but among the g.
Is 900 there are some who have expiate
If their offenses and ought to be set FREE
at The courts make mistakes sometime
lie opd M DON ht fhara ara MANY convic