The Van Buren press., 1896-07-25
PITY FOR THE POOR.
Arp Speaks of the Public Indifer-
ence for the Suffering Poor.
Bats the Public Do Not See. Else There
Would De Help Mr.. Hurtefs
"Bailin's sale''-Condition
of Conviets.


II Gordon Noel Hurtel never writes
anything more, THE Bailiff's Sale" is
sufficient to draw love and praise from
all good people. 1t has kindled kindly
feeling toward him, and what is better.
ii has warmed our pity and enlisted 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 com
mon thing than is supposed. The pic
ture is not overdrawn. If it is not sold
by the constable il is by the anctioneer.
| never pass an auction sale of old
furniture but what l 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 sad
ness under some roof. II the sale paid the
debt there would be some comfort. but
the costs of court, the drayage and com
mission takes about all--for, as Mr..
Hurtel says:
Such worthless old rubbish Will go for
"Alasl for the rarity of Christian
charity" when the bereayed mother has
to spend her last quarter 10 buy in her
dead baby's chair. II that did not real
ly happen, something akin TO it is hap
pening 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 Peaehtree and wonder
and admire, but who seeks the dark al
leys where the poor congregate? Judge
Bleckley wrote a beautiful poem, called
~ 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 4rue. But there is more
pathetic contrast between the very rich
and the very poor in every crowded me-
tropolis. Sometimes we eondone our
neglect of poverty and suffering by say
ing they are not worth befriending-
they are ungrateful-they drought their
misery upon themselves-or if you feed
them and set them up for to-day they
will want more tomorrow. Some folks
say that private charity is against pub
lie policy, but my experience and OBJ
seryation is that the best way to quiet
our consciences is to help them-give
help in some way. There are few pro-
fessional 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 comfortable clothing are
many and are increasing in numbers
every day.
My wife cut out those touching verses
about the bailiff's sale and says they re-
mind her of Tom Hoods "Song of t.!le
Shirt
"Oh. for one short hour
To feel as l used to feel.
Before l knew the woes of want.
Or the work that costs a 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 a
tear of sympathy and then go out into
| the byways and do something for HUI
manity's sake. Rockefeller is greai
philanthropist in his way, but George
Peabody will outrank him in the annals
of history and the judgment of Heaven
Why does not some multi-millionaire
follow his example and provide CHEAP
homes for the poor of our cities? | have
heard it said that it was Tom Hoes
poem that first inspired him to build
| cheap lodgings for the poor of London
| His plans for so doing were not carried
out for several years, but he could moi
erase from his memory the lines:
THAT 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 these lodg-
| ing houses, and they are still comfort
| 10 the thousands who occupy them
Human nature is not so mean and self
| ish as it is thoughtless and forgetful
| Our best emotions need reminders
| Every now and then pathetic picture
| must be drawn, tender poem musrbe
| written. We must see the poor WON All
with the faded shawl
"As she wipes with it's fringes tear from
her eye"
| Many man has pity in his breast and
charity in his heart, but it slumbers be
cause it does not see the misery of the
unfortunate. Poverty shrinks from the
public gaze. II hides itself and suffers
and waits, and hence we see large sums
of money gathered in the churches to be
sent to those afar off, when there is
more need of it at home. Starving peo
pie do not go to church, nor will they &c
half-clad in unseemly garments. Tkc
best religion languishes from hunger
and cold. True charity must hunt fJr
distress and relieve Il.
| This reminds me of the convicts and
their pitiless condition. Most of them
deserve their fate, but among the 5000
there are some who have expiated THEN
offenscs and ought to be set free. TIE
courts make mistakes sometimes, aud
no doubt there are many eonvicts pay
ing penalties they do not owe. There
is not more helpless creature upln