The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1896-07-02
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
HE DILATES UPON THE RARITY
OF CHRISTIAN CHARITY.
The "Song of the Shirt'' and "Fhe
Bailiff's Sale" Draw Love and
Praise.


ANYTHING more, "The Baliff's Sale, "is
sufficient to draw love and praise from
all good people. It has kindled kind
ly 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. I never pass an
auction sale of old furniture but what
I 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. If 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 go
for 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 a beauti-
iul 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 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 privste charity is against
public policy, but my experience and
observation is that the best way tc
quiet our consciences is to help them
give help in some way. There are {
few professional beggars, but no.
enough to impoverish anybody in thi!
southern country. But those who are
really poor and do actually suffer fol
good shelter, good food and comforta
BILE clothing are many and are increas
ing in numbers every day.
, My wife cut out those touching
. verses about the bailiff's sale and say
! they remind her of Tom Hoods "Sons
, of the Shirt"
!, ooh, for ono short hour
+ To feel as used to feel.
Before knew the woes of want,
y Or the work that costs meal"
D That "Song of the Shirt" awakene
Q oil London to the sufferings of poo
2 women, and it has come down to u
/. along the corridors of time and quick
!
charities. Oh, that our rich peopl
would sometimes read it and drop
j. tear of sympathy and then go out int
: the by-ways and do something for hu
!. manity's sake. Rockefeller is grea
= philanthropist in his way, but Georg
Peabody will outrank him in the al
I nails of history and the judgment {
4 heaven. Why does not some mutt
n millionaire follow his example and prc
vide cheap homes for the poor of OF
~ cities? I have heard it said that it WI
Tom Hoods poem that first inspire
him to build cheap lodgings for th
poor of London. His plans for so dc
ing were not carried out for sewers
years, but he could not erase from b
memory ths lines:
tThat shattered roof this naked floor,
A table-a broken chair,
And a wall SO blank my shadow thank
For sometimes falling there"
He spent three millions on tho
lod ging houses and they are still
comfort to the thousands who occu]
Jnem. I1uQdu uhluI6 lS uOt SO Lut
and selfish as it is thoughtless and fe
getful. Our best emotions need I
minders. Every now and then T
thetic picture must be drawn,a a tend
poem must be written. We must see
poor woman with the faded shawl
'sAs she wipes with its fringes tear from
eye"
Il Many man has pity in his bret
M and charity in his heart, but it slu
ar bers because it does not see the mise
,es of the unfortunate Poverty shri1
ed from the public gaze. 1t hides its
Ter and suffers and waits, and hence
u.s. see large sums Of money gathered
nd | the churches to be sent to those 9
7er off when there is more need of it
ain home Starving people do not go
vas church nor will they go half clad
Us rnseemly garments. The best rella
iauguishes from hunger and cold. I