The Portland daily press., 1897-12-13
CHARITY.
PhiIanthropic Topics Discussed by
w. L. q.

OAuD house Question.
The scheme of the programme for the
meeting OF the Literary Union Saturday
afternoon in Pine street church. was ex-
tremely well planned and very we'll car
ried out.
The aspect of the platform was no5 a
little changed by the presence of good
grand piano there, the profuse decoration
OF pine branches along the edge, and the
alteration in the position of the desk,
which left the front open for the speak
ers.
There was a pretty bunch Of yellow and
white chrysanthemums on the desk and
piano which added an enlivening bit of
color.
Mrs. Clark called to the platform the
committee in charge, which consisted of
Mrs. Percival Bonney, Mrs. Frank e.
Lowell, and Mrs. George M. Donham.
Mrs. Bonney gracefully introduced Mrs.
Fred Palmer, who was to give vocal
solo, the first number on the programme
as an old friend with n new name.
Mrs. Palmer, who was Miss knight.
Miss Philbrook for her accompanist.
sang with her usual good taste, ga
Madrigal," by Victor Harris, which gave
great pleasure TO the audience. After the
song, Mrs. Bonney very feelingly said
that it seemed a very wise thought, on
the part of the executive committee to
assign the afternoon on Philanthropy
to this month. the season 5sanctified In
our hearts as the seaso of giving, the
tirne of peace and good WIZ towards
men, and she called upon Mrs. Charles A.
Moores Of the Agassiz club to tell the
ladies of 1.-THE Dawn of Philanthropy"
Mrs. Moores gave an excellent account
of the methods obtaining among the
Greeks Romans and Jews for the relief Of
their poor. There wassmuch kindness
and liberality, she said, among these na-
lions. many magnificent gifts to the peo-
pie, but there was no real system of Or
gantzed charity till aftersthe Christian
era. The sense of charity as we know it,
could not grow out from the heather sys-
tenn. There was free giving of corn to
the Roman people, but this was based
on citizenship, and was vouchsafed them
for reasons purely political, often to
keap them appeased.
The planting of colonies, regarded by
some as system of relief giving to the
poor, was merely to rid the citysof un-
rniy members. In the endowment schools
for both boys and girls, in certain literary
guilds OF that era of the Roman Empire
is seen the developing spirit of philan-
thropy more then in anything else.
In Athens certain subsidies were al
lowed the poor, the nearest approach to
our system, and also there the children
of deceased soldiers were brought up at
the expense Of the state.
In Israel certain tithes and parts of the
harvest were set aside for the relief of
the poor, but it was all done by the gov
eminent.
That which was lacking in heathen-
dom and Judaism was found in Chris
taanity, because the Holy Child was born
in Bethlehem IS centuries ago, to teach
us the lesson of love, to give US the para
BILE of the good Samaritan which, to all
his followers, has ever been the ideal.
Jesus healed the sick, made the blind
see, taught the lesson OF aims giving. In
those early days there was not the need
for the organized schemes of philan-
thropy, where every house was an asy-
lum, but the example had been made for
the world to follow
Mrs. Moores closed her very interesting
raneT with +ha heo1,tii,7I Ifv,oc fro,,, -.
ell, which seems TO enho1y SO perfectly
the whole spirit OF Christianity:
fHe who gives himself with his aims
feeds three,
Himself, his hungering netghbor and
Me-"
At the close.of the paper, Mrs. Bonney
very happily said that after hearing
about the growth and development OF
this spirit Of giving, we were to hear
something Of its manifestations here in
in our own city, from few of the ladies
interested incur philanthropic societies
and Mrs. Warren Cole Of the Wednesday
club was the first representative called
upon.
Mrs. Cole gave a brief account Of the
forming of the Salvation Aid society.
which was sort of auxiliary to the
army, lending helping hand where it
could. The aid society pays the rent of
the army hall, collects and gives clothing
to the needy, and often is able to assist in
unexpected ways. The case of the young
woman captain was mentionedss who be-
came toe i'll to work, and whom the aid
society took charge Of, sending her to the
Invalids' home, till she was well enough
to resume her work again.
Mrs. Cole said the society hoped before
long to have a food and shelter home for
poor unfortunates, where they could
do work to compensate for the food and
shelter given them.
Mrs. Hiram L. Jones gave an interest
ing account of the work of the Orphan
asylum, and answered five questions,
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