The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-14
HARVARD UNIVERSITY.
ROsE HIWTHORNE LITHROP'S WORK
UrRcnt Weed or speed, RELIEF Among the sick
roor and the Hungry.

To THE EDITOR OF THE IS A wide
spread interest has tccn demonstrated. through
donations and letters. IN my idea that des-
titutc incurablcs shorld be cared for free Of
charge and until The end of their lives. The
idea Il principally thai ~ s%;Oopins to the poor
sick where they lie In the lower fortunes ~ the
slums. This effort of mine Il hut II slight imitn-
ton of great efforts long known to rcli-ioa. The
method Of help which I have tried 10 borrow
froIu the successes ~ others i direct and Of quick
effect. and it's disad vaniagcs are far u.urc IN the
sid" Of the worker than on that Of the si,k per.
son laborcd for. | do not attempt to wait for
the convenience. order. and pCrmnacnCc II sys.
tcmutiC arrangements. These tighten the strain
OF continued work, and are excellent when
suhordinatcd to the first duty OF relieving want
aud agony; yet they are poisoning in their effect
upon our charity when the sufferer Ia oppressed
or relief Is POSTPONED for their sake. Order.
smou;hre.s. superficial Gttrac.ivcncss and dig.
nifty are ~cownrdly sclf.urotcctiors II n single life,
however destitute. is sacrificed for them.
try TO 10 satisfied IL aid only u few people
in u day. provided that | all them AZ once. and
I would rather no; succeed in my project ~ hclp
ut all than crush a single applicant with sys.
ten. or those theories that take precedence of n
destitute womRns need, no matter what her
forlorn misfortune NJ misconduct.
began with this notion OF real kindness. and
have occasionally been rcproycd for IL; hut all
that | have experienced while at work has ron.
frmcd my opinion. Help for the sick or st7rvinG
must hasten tiret. whatever IL does aftcrwarl.
SOfaraslcr can see there II very general sympathy
for this u~ntrainmollcd, niV'lnd.tuck place for
relief in the slums. People know from their own
troubles TINT the hand held ont unhcsitulingly
has blessed them, and the hand that was kept
back ill u later mornrnt gave ley comfort, II
amy. There IL such n thing as the hiluT" ~ sue.
cess. An army rushcs on toward victory 80
hotly cngagcd tl!Rt many who nrc wounded are
IA ( hnl ~. Inup 1T a az .NNt. Tnl. mali -
the thought OF brave trilOws who are left behind
10 die. The failure In console those who arc
u los. 50 thc wcll.to-io and cultivated
may often regret tho %inilurc 70 snccor The
Held Of cndc,vor. Ii there IL any on, who has
known the glanc" OF appeal from n fellow being
thrown after him on OF tho loathsomc or annoy
Ing disaster Of that life. as he rides IN To victory
himself. careless Of. the fallen comrldc. he
knows also that in his success there has been nm
ugly flaw the failure 10 be- noble, IN risking his
own triumph by u tender pity. We read Of such
pity with glowing hcurts. Let Us act 1t where
Kindness OF heart 4. wider spread than we
rcalikr until we stand among the destitute and
call for aid. The coarse quality Of some people
public charities. lnisleaGs US as 10 the beauty of
plying icllowsAlp, that aVpcars when we seek
hearted away from those toward whom love
should 30 spccd!,y .IhGse who nc"l il the mo,t.
glnnccs Of the generous uron III, spot where
the wounded sink down, where the families
stNrNc, bl't seen, Inc SIGN 700" UrC never for
gotten, even II "" vii, not I'D them. Their rlo,
qucnrc Is q perpetual echo. Become AT all
familiar with III" aspect Of a starving person,
that no one ever really starvcs that phrase
of The sInillnG prcscrycr of money.
All the whippcr.In Of gcncrous impulses
among men need do IL to show the fncts; that IL,
the disrnGy OF dcstitntlon., Then the impulses
NOV; ana slccor Is sent; Ihc nrororlIon Of PEG.
OF happiness 10 bring RELIEF will Nc sufficient.
Excellent mcn and women are NOW cold and
hlnHrk from wan Ds ems n AIN NRupl Tho
children shlarc tie suffering. How rich does u
father need 70 he to feel Inclined to suicide hr,
seq ami hear much of al this every week. and
The hid cnn siSr r. very small. But il is won.
dcrful how inlcn 30 cents win to.
Infants nrc brought to me 10 dead with coughs
n9dmrdd 'np,ms i"r hrrsSrintio4s Int cannot r.
by acry, an ourstrctfhcd hand, a piteous piotnt Of
the mouth, to win it's mndicin". Women come
who are OF y deadly pallor, who nrr hollow,
dizzy IN! self as | listen Ia the familiar story ~
no work, no fuel. no food, no covering. | Try to
should not like to be turned away; and II there
Is money in my pocket, how dare | be so hard as
not 10 give u pittancc here and nav
In default OF u hospital, | have taken several
irhelnclis OF Two or three rooms each, In which
hive placed the sick TO whom | have been
ing. They, of course, entail much waste of
cncrsy and time, being ut some distance from
Then nave three patients ,o | call thcnD who
reside with me. Moreover, | visit u number Ut
MONIES regularly, where the sick are taken care
of By their own families, except for the dressing
Of the wounds and the general help l can give.
risk ignominiOls failures by Attempting even
this little round OF responsibility, with means 10
uncertain and huctuating rs mine are now; but
do a great deal of good, nevertheless, and shall
not cease 10 venture and to work on, unless
more inundated than NJ present.
In time persistent labor on even n small scale
may create such adequate aid that u hospital
for incurable cancer patients will stand honor
ably, II huInhly and s%habbily. forth as u begin.
ming or soincthing still larger and nohlcr, IA place
where the destitute and hopeless may lind gen.
tlcness and peace nS we'll Hs bed and board, 1
am determined 10 do all ! can toward this end,
whether limited In capacity and material means
or not. All ! have done and seen proves to me
a more remuncratiyo line OF effort. -
i have been obliged to find moro airy and
some hat larger quarters, where | expect to re-
main during the summer, at B6S Water street.
COrlears SQUARE, / hog that nny donntions ~