Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1900-10-10
ABOUT CHARITY.

group of women were talking about
charity the other day, and after they had
rather threShed the subject out along con
yentional lines. one of them said:
Sometimes | think there is nothing Of
which we have a cruder o, a more dis
tOrted comprehension than of charity.
One picture of need may be said TO he
represented by 4 whiSky-soaked tramu
who always requires dime. kind lady,
to get nights lodging; or a frowsy
woman who presents nlthy paper stat
ing she Is the mother Of half dszen
small children, all under ) years of age
to whose support all Christian people are
requested to contribute. 1t is so much
easier 70 give than it is To look into
eases Of restitution that we permit our
selves to be held up on every street cor
ner, and professional hpggars flourish like
the green bay rree. More than that. we
20 oui way with a yirtuous sense of hay-
ing done our full duty. for our idea of
charity is so elemental that il includes
nothing more than giving money or mon
cy's worth. YET the great exampler OF
all mankind never gave money. He gave
wine to make merrT to the marriage
feast He gave pity to the outcast wom-
an. lie gave tears of sympathy to the
broken-heartcd. He gave healing to the
sick. He gave his life on Calvary, but
he gave no money.
"Of course no one would discourage
for one instant the feeling of the hungry.
the clothing of the naked and the succor
of the destitute. That is our first and
most obvious duty The nifty Of it is that
We should stop short nj that, and that
our charity should SO seldom include
those who have all that money will buy,
yet who may be just as surely and as
desperately in need as any beggar who
sollcits aims on the street. Perhaps on
all his SAD old earth We need nothing
more than some Little Sisters of the
Rich, whose miniStrations shall be to
those who fare sumptuouSly every day,
and whose clothes are paris-made and
silklined
Not all the want in the world is phyS-
zeal. There is hun&rinne;s e the soul
just rs hard to bear as any starvation
OF the body. We can perish for the lack
of the warmth OF human love and com.
panonShip Just as much as we can from
the hlighting cold of winter, yet we pass
| 10y these needs every day of our lives
without one thought that we are III any
way bound 70 supply them. We would
he Mortified mt the thought Of turningaway
tramp hungry from our door. yet we
viii let the friend who came to MS Starv.
ing for sympathy and comfort 20 away
with all his great need mSatisiei, sim
ply because he has on Il good coat and
has credit mt the bank. Most of lis are
good enough Mt hack-door charity. What
we need To learn is more front-door char
lty. To understand that we are just as
much bound to give friendlinesS and
cheer 10 those Of our acquaintance who
need It as We are to give our old clothes
10 the poor. and that there may be JUST
as much real charity in handing ont a
rev KIND words rs there is i'll handing
ing out Il plate of cold victualS."
Il know what You mean said a sad
faced woman IN the corner Once in
my life great sorrow came to me that
seemed 10 simply crush my soul. | could
not rise above it, and after my friends
had paid their duty call Of coincidence
! they dropped away. | couldn't blame
them. knew that my house was as
mournful rs the tomb. and that the very
sight ct my face was a kill-joy. | real
iIed. toe that in my grief | was almost
mou3maniac, and that | could not
'ollS' myself t. think. or speak, or he in
crested in anything hut my sorrow.
Yet it seemed to me that unless hod
/ someone ~ whom | could talk : should
20 mad. One woman came to ne. She
lot me rave of myself my dcSolatiun ana
loss with all the cgotism Of grief. until
I 10y and lev. the bitterness Of my heart
poured itself ont and | was able to take
m the burden of everyday living again.
/ But | shall always know her deed fOI
the most beautiful charity that anyone
could possibly imagine People said Of
me in my affection oh. Mrs Blank has
everything she needs because of my fine
house AMI servants and horses and ca
riagcS; hut | lacked the one thing ar
earth thar I needed most-the sympathy
and comprehension that no money can
buy. and hut FIR that woman'S charity
10 me | should hive been as poor aS the
poorest beggar alive. and more TO bc pit