The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-03-06

Paper by Mrs. &. II. Davenport. b
What is Charity? The Bible tell
US that Charity suiforeth long ant
is kind. " The dictionary says it is
derived from the Latin word carus,
meaning dear, costly, and the WORD
carus comes from the Latin verb carec
to want. as DEAFNESS arises from
scarcity, and there follows lonA list
of dctinitions--love,b cneyolcncc, good
will, aims giving, &c, kc. Phillips
Brooks SAID that CHARITY, was tho
love of man for men. and some one
else. | cannot tell who, that charity
| in its truest. broadcast sense is help
to self-help This last definition
sounds we'll and extremely encouraging
| till we come TO recognize the TACT that
there are Il large number ot needy
people who have no desire TO heip
themselves they greatly prefer help
to self help the bread Of charity, to
them. is sweet not bitter, They want
all the help they can get and they want
to get IT with as LITTLE trouble to them
selves as possible. There are so many
like unto the man. who. having ap'
piled to charity board for relief for
his starving family was sent to the
village store with IN order for flour,
meal and salt fish On being asked
how much fish he would take he ~
plied-"Well, might as well take a
quintal, can't be running after salt fish
every day" Poverty is not all 70
mantle. Charity does not begin and
end with bouquet OF flowers. ard
bowl OF dainty broth A person who
in any degree is az interested worker
in charitiesis constantly met with many
puzzling queries. Foremost amongst
them the constant one. lis it any good
after all? Is not what we accomplish
but drop in the great ocean of need,
1t is no wonder that the kindest heart
sometimes turns hard and indifferent,
that the rcadiest hand ceases from
doing, there is so much that is dis
ESQ much Of greed and III
gratitude. vice and wickcdness. so
many who are simply lazy ana shift
less that It would seem Just as well
to let them go their ways and live ont
their worthless lives as quickly as
possible. For these reasons the helping
md saving of little children seems
10 me the best and wiscat of all chart
ties. 1t is at least the most satisfac
.ory. Christ said THE poor sc have
always with YOU, but he told us also
If the good Samaritan and since the
icry beginning of men and things hlc
loOr and unfortunate have existed s."
,lso have the good Samaritans.
The Jewish cities OF refuge, cstau
ished by Moses and Joshua are the
'arliest examples of anything like a
institution of which we
lave any historical evidence, OF these
titles Of refuge there were six i'll mum
,er, three on each side of the river
Jordan. but they are described as
places to which criminals. as well as
he poor and sick might flee and from
which they could not be taken with
nay have been places for the rccep
temporary relief for the poor and sick
vas anything OF the nature Of
haritable institution such as existed
fter the introduction of Christianity.
The Bethesda of scripture vas prob
IDLY no mora than Il collection of sheds
'uilt round the pool to whose waters
healing powers were at
ributcd The hospitals founded under
he auspices of the early Christians
gcre not exclusively places Of refuge
or the sick, but for all kinds of per
ons in distress. \ famous institu
ion of the kind was founded in e.,
Iesarca in the latter part of the 18th
entury. The next notable hospital !
,asIthat of ST. Chrysostom built at ,
is own expense in Constantinoplc
me of the finest hospitals of Rome /
'as founded by FabioIa, Il Roman lady I
he Hotel Dieu in Paris is said 70
ave been founded in the 18th century
II the 9th century there were twenty ,
,ur hospitals in Rome alone, The I
arliest distinct record OF the building ,
Il hospital in England is in 1850 but I