Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1897-11-21
Charity.
by. c. II. MCISTOsH1

by. {. II M~ClSTOsHl
With Charity towards All and
Malice towards None.
In the garden spots Of earth. where
the sweet scent Of roses brings
gladness to the eye and delight to
the heart; where the pine and the
evergreen keep in memory all that is
fresh aud pure, and the elm aud the
oak speak Of strength and succor;
where nature has been kind to man
and given freely OF her store Of beau
y and color; where tenderness itself
seems to Turk III every nook and cor
uer; where sadness finds a balm.
treachery repro1f. and everything in
cites to that which is noble, we begin
u search for Charity.
In the vast, bleak deserts, where
no man has an abiding place; where
the frighttul typhoon warns OF dam
ger and death; where tongues are
parched with thirst and terror hills
the breast, and where the lonely cac-
tus stands ii solitary mark Of all that
Is imbued with life. we search on.
In the great cities nf the worlu,
where IN IN 70 mad in a wild scram-
BILE for wealth; yet where famine
stalks unrobed aud supreme through
the "tcuemen'E: where vice has it,
footing, but pitifully rcstraiucd;
where agony aud suffering is not
alone physical but moral as we'll:
where millions are spent for ci arity.
Is charity is miscnnstrucd, teus OF
millions for luxury. and not one heart
warns toward those wuo need more
than the things given i'll osten-
tutious bcni!icence-yct on we seek
for Charity.
In the b%oundloss wllds, where the
uborigincc, the savage, the barbarian
dwc!is in company with the denizcns
of tine iirl and vile reptiles u the
swanps, We ,rarch again.
In the quiet country village, where
hospitality and bencyolence are sup
posed to be bywords; where men live
close akin and should manifest somIe
brotherhood Of interest and Of love.
we still search on.
Fen 10 the church Of God, where
all men meet to glority;-the symbol
OF sweet charity itsclf;-made up in
congregation Of those of all degrees
OF faith and presumably Of ono be.
lief; where mankind should forgive,
forget aud uphift himself to nobler
things toward his fellows -wo tr,
once more.
In all these places have We looked
and searched in vain, though dill
gently, trustfully, faithfully to the
end, hoping ever for reward Of effort
But q. Charity is dead. Her oil
spring are numerous. but weak cx-
amplcs 81 their pnrcntagc.
In the garden spots she lives for
pleasure to the senses Of the scltish:
in the desert she * not: IN the wilder
hess unknown; III the village she il
prostitutcd to tho unjust and unde-
served ccnsurc of our fellow beings.
aud in the church she exists but an
idea Of what should he.
Charity but the giving OF aims?
Surely 40. DO not degrade her
thus. Such "a construction shows
trui! not only onr mcntnl and moral
~narrowncss. but wisely c0nvic,s us Of
the scliishuess that ia in IA.
y kind word. II g"aiIc touch. put
to crying shame Our much .Yauntnd
money gi!tr. Nor, valuable than
gold. -yra than much tine gold" To
hearts that arc breaking for the lack
81 recognition ns human beings from
those who are pleased Ia term them
solves rs human, gold 10 COBtcmptiblc.
kindness IL riches.
The paths Of death aud destruction
arc Btrcwn with frozen hearts and
the blightcd lives Of those who need
cd but iruc charity To stay their
course forever Tor tie better. Tho
lowly in degree. measured today by
the standard Of wealthy alone. but
whose characters are Hs subject to
Chm tiau feelings aud true purity rs
those OF the riclIcat miuion IN tho
land. and doubtless more so. ara daily
driven down, cowod and whipped
ngtrHy by those very once who leave
their homo Of elegance. with their
hnnds upon their pursc.strings. to
Haunt their pOmpOus vanity 20 the
world. Indeed It's so that "l1o high.
est exercise 81 charity is charity to-
ward the uncharitublc.T
In the true spirit and love OF God.
almsgiviug in u beautiful thing,
never Ia bc dcridod or undcrvalucd,
but when for moro appearance wo
ilirt our purses to tho needy. its yui
gnfiiy il ihcsIimnblc mud ita curse
s~cIt.cvidcnt. ChnrIty truly suffer.
eth long aud IL kind; charity onyioth