The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-03-07

Y tween the Old Charity and the
New lies in the differing motives. I do
not wish to be harsh; but is it not true
that the motive of the Old Charity was
largely eelfshness or self indulgence?
In the medieval times. dying man
Whose life had been clearly distinguish
able from that of an apostle) purchased
future happiness presumably by pro-
viding an annual supply of fagots to be
used for the spread of just views, and for
the encouragement of religious eccen-
tricity, or in providing through all time
for the distribution of that most fatal
poison, unearned bread, the fagots being,
of the two, by far the less mischievous.
In either case, the welfare of the recip-
tents was the last thing considered.
The Old Charity seeks to avoid
seeing or remembering distressing OBJ
iects. 1t gives, in order that it may
get the poor off its mind; that it may
efface the recollection of haggard face,
squalid form, a pleading voice. Re-
Gently, a most estimable lady said to me,
II was coming out of the Academy. and
an old woman stretched out her lean
hand for help. gave her something;
! could not have slept all night if had
not; l should have been haunted by her
face"
An AmiabIe Weakness.
1t is hard to blame the feeling; if we
may borrow from Mr.. Weller, "'After
all, my lord, it is an amiable weakness,
as the lawyer said about the man who
beat his wife with poker;" but it GER
tainly is weakness.
The New Charity sees the woman beg
ging before the Academy. 1t gives her
nothing; it learns her name and address,
and perhaps few words of her story.
The next day, it goes, either in person or
through an organization, and, ,"the cause
it knows not. it searches out" 1t finds,
perhaps, that the woman is a capitalist;
or, perhaps, that she has children who
ought to support her, and whom public
opinion will compel to this duty; or that
she has claims to be admitted into an in
stitution where she will be suitably
cared for. or. perhaps it finds her en-
ployment.
Different Methods.
The Old Charity sees woman beg
ging, having in her arms a child with
diseased eyes, distorted legs, fostering
sores; it gives profuse aims, and there
by puts premium on diseased, distorted
children; and so such children are made
to order by the thousand, while the Old
Charity goes away hugging itself over
its tenderness Of heart. The New Char
ity puts the child under treatment. and
it sends the woman to Jail, and removes
all inducement for the production and
exhibition of distorted children.
The words of Archbishop Whately are
still true; people will do what you pay
them to do; if you pay them to work.
they will work; if you pay them to beg.
they will beg;" and it might be added,
"if you pay them to distort and mutt
late little children, they will do that"
The Old Charity sees on the streets
a girl of ten, begging; itgives, and there
by helps to make the child confirmed
beggar, presently thief, and then a
prostitute. The New Charity follows
up the child, and finds the mother read
ing novel bya good fire, and the father
in equal comfort, both sustained by the
child's beggary.
OF course, the Old Charity was greeted
and followed by the vociferous blessings
of those whose mouths it filled with
bread, and whose hands it filed with
coin, in transit to the till of the nearest
dram-shop. The New Charity gets only
muttered curses. Macaulay has some
where said that man is not fit to be a
ruler unless he is prepared to incur the
enmity of those about him, whom he sees
every day, for the sake of the millions
who are remote from him and whom he
will never see. In the same spirit, the
New Charity is willing to brave the
curses of the beggar of today, for the
sake of the coming generations whom it
will save from the curse of being beg
gars. Its motive is not its own ease.
but the lessening of woe, the comforting
of lasting good.
Seeking for Causes.
The New Charity differs from the Old
in it's methods. The Old Charity finds
man hungry and cold; and it feeds him,
gives him an order for ton of coal.
But the cold and the hunger are symp-
toms. The New Charity seeks for the
causes. 1t finds that the causes lie far
within. The causes are moral. The
poor are bankrupt. not alone in pocket,
but in hope, in courage, in resolution, in
self-control. And it is these which the
New Charity sets itself to supply. The
task is gigantic. 1t takes but moment
to fill the hand with money, to fill the
mouth with bread. But to re-create the
soul. to build up again the ruined tenn.
pie. is work demanding divine patience,
wisdom, courage. love. But the New
Charity suffereth long, beareth all
things, endureth all things, and never
faileth. As its motive was not hone of