New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-05-09

gang. She draws herself 2hd. day. and for ihs
the children cannot live on that and the rest OK me
gang must contribute TO their support And tEey
do her full task There are the little ones to b
looked after The baby must bssuckled the eyeos
hs fall be eSnS an s Sa Hd
herself weak, and cannot work hard. she is plr-
beers 10 And yet there Is never any trouble about IL
There are many such women on the work; they
are never outcasts from any gang. The burden Of
their assistance is borne freely and generously BY
all. And indeed the generosity of these people our
of their poverty is something 10 marvel at
We came one day upon an old woman sitting oy
one of the huts. The people were all at work. and
th hI chilled hands o the morning sun And We
asked her who she was and whether she had been
shook her head She had been here three days. she
told us IN her quavering tones. She had no rela-
tons, no children no one, all were dead long ago
She received no pay from the Government. not she
But people were kind. They gave her little food
here and there out Of their pots. She had enough
1t is a lesson in courage in charity In nobility Of
soul, that comes to ones heart, TO watch these
people. We know what straits they are in. Their
crops gone, broken up, starvation kept of from
day to day by hard work alone. They are deprived
OF even their little luxury OF q smoke. All Burmans
smoke their great white cheroots, which so
very cheap and so very harmless. 1t is the only
stimuant they have, for they neither drink nor do
they take opium. Men smoke. and women; boys
smoke and girls and babies.
And In all these big camps. after they come back
from work, and the evening meal is eaten. and the
people are sitting round chatting. singing and
laughing, you will never the gleam OF the che.
root. They are living the margin OF existence
And yet they are never suky. never cast down,
never despondng. They are. as always very cheer.
full. very Independent, very long-suffering Crime
among them Is almost unknown In the large
not been quarrel or fight since the camp COM
They are wonderful nation In the village, the
private charity is great. IL must he remembered
that in small communities half the village are
usually kin TO each other A man will marry a gri
NJ iS mn flrsI er., iraia
OF relations in addition TO his own. And relation
we have any idea of among ourselves. ANY man
who is slightly better off than others has always
large circle Of relations TO whom his charity can
flow without going aied for II. SO Il is that al
though the amount Of private charity that is given
enormous-yet there is no show for it, There are no
subscription lists, no cole boxes no public
hd III manage m keen OF b
from ruin and starvation, that is much as he
can do.
And on the better off among the community
those who have managed even In the hard year 10
reap enough or earn enough 10 have a superhuity
the monks and the monasteries are dependent. In
every small village there will be a monastery, how
ever poor, and one monk at least In large VILLAGES
ligious needs OF the people. these monks are the
schoomasters. Every monastery is a school where
these monasteries have no endowments. The
monks and novices all OF them dependent on tho
daily charity of the villagers. So far only IN one
or two cases of villages reduced verest destitu
ton have | heard of monk having been oohseu
10 20 elsewhere because the people Coulu nor suP
port him. Even in these cases IL has been but
superiuous monk. not the principal one OF us
monastery AS long there is man LEFT In the
village with means beyond his daily wants tns
monks will be fed and the schools kept up. hvs sa
upon the famine camps little food will be spatsa
to give the monks they come round IN the"
morning procession. -. 4, An.
CLARITY transformations, heartfelt charity IS on
OF the greatest OF virtues in Buddhism-s one %
the many beautiful sides OF the Burmese cnarar,,
I have never heard OF any one dying or starva-
ton I'm Rurmah Even In the famine no such r.
por has ever been sent inno such report VIII ~
he sent I'm / think as long as there Is any one
who has meal TO spare. Even in TIE ianHeh J.
is;G-5- when there was no Government rellet' oe
! i've very few people died actually % famine.