The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-12-20
PLAN TO HELP THE pooR.
Rev. MT. Mossman Offers a Suggestion to the Generous New Haveners.

City Mission Hall, Corner of Court and
 State Streets.
 To the Editor of the Journal and Courier:
 Dear Sir: Through you jet me ac- knowledge the generous help given in response to my Thanksgiving letter by the readers of your paper and others. More than enough was received for use at that time and in the ways then men toned. But Christmas is now just be- fore us and beyond that stretches out the New Year and with many men and women and little children whom l know, it is only by the kindly care of others more favored than themselves that the coming Christmas can be mer- Ty, or the New Year happy one.
 What I would like to do is what I am quite sure great many others will be quite willing to help in doing, viz: to make such Christmas gifts as shall be more than for the day, so that out of list of many dependent families, we may be able to say to at least fifty of them, You need not dread the win ter. There are one or two hundred dollars in the bank for you. Fifty families whom you do not know have said to me: We will each try to strengthen some other weaker family if hard pressed during the com- Ing winter. Here are two or three or four dollars to use for them if needed. Do not let them suffer or even get dis couraged. In these times of prosperity there is surely enough for all"
 Then I could say before Christmas 6n1i1a1y mt tn everyone but to those whom l have known long enough to trust them: Here is a Christmas card from some friends of yours who have put a few dollars in my hands for your use during the winter if necessary. Perhaps you may not need to use it. But if you do bring it to me at any time in the next two or three months and l will use part or all of the amount marked on it, as shall seem best for you, in food or fuel or clothing, or medicine if you are sick. And no one need know of it but God, and you, and me-
 Instead of money anyone can send me an order on their grocer or market man for one or two dollars or more, to be used at my discretion for others in IHlS SdIIlt way VI SOlllC lliuy plSLCi to write: You may call on me for two or three dollars naming any amounD during the winter for any needy family you may wish to help
 I am we'll aware that some seem to think there Is danger of doing too much for the poor, and that offers of help to helpless people will only make them more so. Aside from an honest difference of opinion as to meth ods, this must come from either ignor- ance or heartlessness, and is no more to be needed than if we were advised to let drowning people sink for fear we should push them under the water in | trying to help them out. Knowledge and skill are, of course, required in either kind of life-saving service, but | even if people have thrown themselves | into the water, it is shame to stand | on shore and see them drown. All the l more if they are there by no fault of | their own. What I am nov. asking for | is not help to get people put Of the water, but to keep them from getting i nto it. To save them from being over- Nhelmed by Encouragement as it rises higher and higher, and no help at hand. And those for whom I would use this nelp are the ones who would never call 'or it unless they had to, who would rather suffer than to speak out and who have right to expect us to speak o them first and not only ask: How are you getting along?" but also, What can I do for you?'
 So I would like to be able to give ox,;, ,,,eso Taur | Fears cards I have described. as gifts to as many families known to me among the respectable poor people of ,ur city who are on my visiting list and whom I am glad to call my friends. t surely is no disgrace to be honora- ,ly poor Certainly Christ was not dis ,raced thereby. Is it not possible that, intending it. we may be neg ecting some of these homes and hearts where He Himself dwells, and of whom