The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-18

which keeps watch over our
lives and suffers in our misfoFtunes.
Forgotten like you, often blasphemed
II has confided to you some of it's hea-
Veniiest MESA geG, and that perhaps is
why above your gentle comings and
goings we sometimes seem to hear the
rustling of wings of min.stering angels.
HE good hides itself under so
u many different forms that one
has often as much pains to discover it
as to unearth the best concealed
crimes. A Russian doctor who had
passed ten years of his life in Siberia,
condemned for political reasons TO
forced labor, used to find great pleasure
IN telling of the generosity. courage
and humanity he had observed. not
only among a large number of the con-
demned, but also among the convict
guards. For the moment one is tempted
to exclaim: Where will not the good
hide away. And in truth life offers
here great surprises and embarrassing
contrasts. There are good men, Off
cially so recognized, quoted among
their associates, l had almost said
guaranteed by the government or the
church, who can be reproached with
nothing but dry and hard hearts; while
We are astoniShed TO encounter in GER
tain fallen human beings the most gen
uiHe tenderness. and, as il were,
thirst for self-devotion.
SHOULD like to speak next-apro-
II pos of the inglorius good-of a
class that today il is thought quite fit-
ting to treat with the utmost One-side-
edness. / mean the rich. Some people
think the last word is said when they
have stigmatized that infamy, capital.
For them, AL who possess great for
tunes are monsters gorged with the
blood of the miserable. Others, not so
declamatory. persist, however. in con-
founding riches with egoism and insen-
Sibility. Justice should be visited on
these errors, be they involuntary or
calculated. No doubt there are rich
men who concern themselves with no
body else. and others who do good only
with ostentation; indeed, we know 1t
too well. But does their inhumanity or
hypocrisy take away the value of the
good that others do. and that they oft
en- hide with a modesty so perfect?
L knew man 10 whom every mis-
fortune had come which can strike US
in our affections. He had lost a be-
loved wife, had seen all his children
buried, one after another. But he had
a great fortune. the result Of his own
y
almost without personal wants, he
spent his time in searching for oppor-
tunitieS 10 DO good. and profiting by
them. How many people he surprised in
fragrant poverty, what means ne COM
bined- for relieving distress and lighting
up dark lives. with what kindly
thoughtfulness ne took his friends IN
awares, no one can imagine. He liked
TO do good to others and enjoy their
surprise when they did not know
whence the relief came. II pleased him
TO repair the injustices of fortune, 10
bring tears OF happiness In families
pursued by mischa1ce. He was corr
tinually plotting. continuing, machinat-
ing in the dark, with a childish fear of
being caught with his hand in the bag
The greater part OF these fine deeds
were not known till after his death;
the whole of them We shall never know.
He was socialist of the right sort
for there are two kinds OF them. Those
who aspire to appropriate to them
selves a part Of the goods of others are
numerous and commonplace. To be-
long to their order it suffices to have a
big appetite. Those who are hungering
10 divide their own goods with men
who have none. are rare and precious,
for to enter this choice company there
IS need Of brave and noble heart. free
from selfishness, and sensitive TO both
the happiness and unhappiness of its
fellows Fortunately the race of these
socialists Is not extinct. and | feel an
unalIowed satisfaction in offering them
a tribute they never claim.
! must be pardoned for dwelling upon
this 1t does one good to offset the Bit
terness of so many infamies so many
calumnies so much charlatanism by
resting the eyes upon something more
beautiful, brea thing the perfume of
these stray corners where simple good
ness flowers.
lady. foreigner. doubtless little
used to Partisan life. just now told me
with what horror the things she sees
here inspire her-theSe vile posters
these yellow" journals, these women
with bleached hair. this crowd rushing
TO the races. to dance halls. to roulette
table, to corruption-the whole food Of
superficial and mundane life. She did
not speak the word Babylon. but
doubtless it was out of pity for one of
the inhabitants Of this city of perdi-
ton.
Alas. yes. madam, these things are
sad. but you have not seen all
Heaven preserve me from that"
"On the contrary. l wish you
could see everything: for if the
dark side is very ugly. there is SO
much TO atone for II. And. believe me.
madam, you have only to change your
quarter. or observe at another hour
For instances, take the Paris of early
morning. II viii offer much to correct
your impressions of the Paris of the
night. Go see. among so many work
ing people. the street-sweepers. who
come out at the hour when the jewellers
and maiefactors go in. Observe be-
meath these rags those caryatid bodies.
those austure faces, How serious they
are at their work of sweeping away
the refuse OF the nights reveIry. One
might liken them 10 the prophets at
AhasueTus' gates. There are women
among them. many old people. When
the air is cold they stop and blow
their fingers and then go at it again.
So it is every day. And they, too. are
Inhabitants of Paris,
Go next 10 the faubourgs. to the fac
tories. especially the smaller ones.
where the children or the employers
Ia Dor with the men. Watch the army
of workers marching 10 their tasks.
How ready and willing these young
girls seem as they come gaily down
from their distant quarters 70 the shops
and stores and offices of the city. Then
visit the homes from which they come.
See the woman of the people at her
work. Her husbands wages are mod
est. their dwelling Is cramped their
children are many. the father is often
harsh. Make a collection of the bio
grapheis Of lOwly people. budgets of
modest family life; look at them at
tentively and long.
After that, go see the students. Those
who have scandalized you in the streets
are numerous. but those who labor hard
are legion-only they stay at home, and
are not talked about. If you knew the
toll and dig of the Latin Quarter. You
find the papers full Of the rumpus made
by a certain set of youths who call