New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-15

church steeple; but I've an ould pair OF shoes
all run down at the heel When L walk on
then I shuppose We think shtagger.
Lastly, there those who come telling tales
/ never have the slightest doubt are true, but
whose stories. when verified. leave me abso-
lutely HELPLESS to help those who tell them. They
are people who lack Initiative who have never
learned trade who have worn out all their
friends. or who are too old To work at the pro-
fession they have all their lives been used TO.
The very condition of these people themselves
is as bad as any possible story. false or true.
could make them: hut the trouble is. either they
have degeucTated TO the point where they can
not he helped. or else they are by nature foolish
in a way that makes them blind 10 all endeavor
or these. for example, MT A. although forty
wears old. IL a Door childish mortal, wearing
out his life looking vainly for work as a useful
man" When I offer him dollar. to set up in
business selling papers on the street, he is
afraid the little boys would chase me- Mr.
B., who considers himself politician, is walt
ing vainly the end Of three years an appoint
ment promised him as Waterman IN the CITY
postofficc. He cannot be made to believe but
that the promises made to him and the hopes
held out are bona fide.
Mrs. A. a good. simple creature. wants TO Dor
- with which to stock a candy store, the
income from which she assures me. will support
herself. her aged husband and daughter who is
invalid she cannot be made TO believe that
IL will not Mrs. B.. woman who long ago has
met reverses.' wants 10 borrow so TO redeem
her furniture from storage. take a fat and rent
out rooms. She has not the slightest business
sense. and would in siX weeks be still worse in
debt. but viii not be advised. Mrs C, woman
eighty years old. wants to be placed in old
ladies' home but her choice is the most aristo-
cratic OF such homes in all New-York: il will
take 500 to ensconce her there. She has not
seven cents in all the world. and yet she grows
indignant when l name the almShouse. Old
Mrs. ID. is a discharged servant, who for long
years has looked in vain for place 10 serve as
a waitress. She longer do her work. and
Yet cannot be made to why no one wants her
they used to. Chief among these, indeed, are
servants Wallets. cooks. attendants. nurses, etc.
those who all their lives have done only the bid
ding of some who was their master or they
may even be persons whose affections have per-
verted their judgment i'm matters of extravagant
expense One man. for example, came to ask
me for pair OF shoes who had been IMPROVE
dent enough only the week before to pawn even
his clothes. and thus reduce himself to perjury,
in order to get money which. added to all his
accumulated savings. would pay an undertaken
$40 for the funeral of his child.
But why do all these persons come to the clergy
particularly? Perhaps it is because that in
hospitals. free lodging houses. cheap hotels. on
the benches of the parks, etc. etc, they form
communities of interest and exchange with one
smother names and addresses of the persons and
places where help is most likely to he found.
Sometimes they say that some lone whose
name they never know whom they met on the
street has sent them here. And this is often
possible. for many members of this parish-as
Of every other-when approached in person on
The street partly because they do not trust their
own Judgment. partly because they have already
given mercy TO the pastors OF their churches, re-
fer them for the help they ask to of
One does not like TO be found gulible: on the
ether hand, he likes as little 10 be hard hearted
In his official capacity distributor of parish
funds for charity he may he neither. The
problem. then. of how 10 deal with such callers
is one of the most perpleXing ones that any city
clergyman has to solve. The difficulty always is
that for a while one Is too lenient till he finds
himself entTapped he then goes to the opposite
extreme. becomes too harsh and finds himself
unreasonab bic. One must listen to all stories for
this is a pastors office He must try by one
test or another. TO determine whether such
stories are true false for this is his business
custodian Of fund. 1t would be so easy to
help people If what they always told were al
wavs true and easier still il they would always
do what one tells them. but il may safely be
taken for granted that as a general rule they
will do neither. And the problem. too, grows daily
more and more perpleXing- The number OF
these people is increasing and that with a
rapidity that is amazing. More of them have
come 10 me this last year than on any other
wear and that Notwithstanding the fact
that there never was 4 year before I'm which
times were uniformly good and when so few
people ought 70 have been out Of money, out OF
work or in distress Of any kind.