The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-04

his work as the oak grows Or as the
good God causes the sun to rise regard
4 less of who sees him. is5 III
l have known many old teachers, men
and women, who have passed their lives
i at n talk always tho same; to instill the
4 r,i1in,ents Of human knowledge into
j heads sometimes harder than stone. They
4 have worked with all their hearts, the
4 whole length OF a painful career. where
4 the attention Of men held little place.
\ When they lie down In their unknown
i graves, no ono will remember them but
their recolnpense Is III their love. None IS
g,ander than these unknown ones.
1 = 7s. - - 90
How many obscure virtues will those,
/ WHO know how TO seek not discover IN q
certain class Of people whom they have
often rldiculcd, not thinking that they
made themselves guilty ut once of cruelty,
| ingratitudc and stupidity. ! w1sl, TO speak
| Of the old maids we like to remark any
thing queer In their costumes, and man
| ners, which Is Of no consequence IN any
| case. we wish also 10 recall that others.
| quite personal have disnterested thetn-
selves of everything except their own
/ comfort, and that of some canary cat or
4 nacnw, in which their powers OF affection
| arc absorbed and certainly these Will not
| cede In cgotism to the most hardened
| bachelors But what we are wrong to
! ignore the most often is the great capacity
! Tor sacrifice hidden 50 modcstly IN the
| lives Of these simply admirable old maids
! Is 1t nothing, then, to have no home. no
love. no future, no personal ambition; TO
taloa OF, ones self that cross OF solitude
so heavy to bear, above all, when the ex-
tctnal solitude is Joined to that Of the
! heart: to forget ones self ono0gh to have
no interest in this world save for old
! parents. Young orphan nephews. the poor
the infirrn, out Of all the brutal mechan-
4 ism thrown among the cinders or IRE!
Seen from outside, these almost effaced
! cxistenccs have but little brightness
4 They excite pity rather than envy. THOSE
i who approach them fifth respect, perceive
l secret sorrows there, sometimes greet SUI b
1 ferings passed. heavy loads under which
tho all too fragile shoulders bowed; but
i It Is not there that lies the shadow. We
\ should DO able to appreciate that fach-
l ness Of heart, that pure goodness. that
! rover OF loving, OF consoling, Of hoping
I that gilt Joyous in itself, that invincible
obstinacy in sweetness and III pardonins
I even those who are unworthy. g6 Poor Old
maids how many have you saved from
I shlpwreck, cured Of wounds, gathered up
OF the lost, clothed Of the naked mothered
OF orphans; Now many beings who would
be alone In this world II they did not
| have you-you who often have no. one!
! I forget. Some One knows you; 1t is the
great unknown Pity which watches over
| our lives, and suffers from our mlsfor-
| tunes Forgotten, like YOU, and fire.
! quenty blaspheined. she has confided 70
! you some Of her foliest messages, and AZ
| is for that, without doubt, that often as
you discreety pass by, we think we feel
the touch of the wings Of the angels Of
salvation.
Tho good hides itself under SO many
Il ll,,t4 r>f n mil
difficulty to find it. as to discover tho
| evil deeds hidden in the closet A Rus;
sian physician who had passed ten years
OF his life in Siberia, condemned to forced
labor for political offenso liked to re-
count the traits Of generosity, Of cour-5
age and humanity which he had OBJ
| served not only among many prisoners,
but also among the guards Of the galleys.
] At first ono would be tempted to say:
! 'Where could good be found there?" In
| fact, life there offers you great surprises
and disconcertng contrasts. There are
brave men, officially recognized as such,
settled in their places, may say almost
| guaranteed by the government or by the
church, whom none can reproach abso-
lutely at all. unless it might be to say
| that their hearts are dry and hard, and
4 then one is !astonishcd to meet In certain
1 fallen beings n yerltnble tenderness and a!
thirst for devoung themselves 70 some
good work. s.
Lot, me be permitted now to speak OF
the unknown good done by people whom
II 1t seems TO be decided to treat with the
\ greatest lnjustice-the rich people Some
! think they havo said all they could when
they have blasted the in famous capt. !.
| For those, all who possess q great fortune
are monsters gorged with the blood OF the
I unfortunate. Others loss declamatory. do
| not confound riches less often with cgot-
| ism and insensibiNty. We must do Justice
Il to these involuntary or calculated errors.
4 Without doubt there are rich who care
for none but themselves, and others who
do good only for ostentatton We know
tho rest But their nh,IuEan or hypo-s
critical conduct dimtnishcs the value OF
the good dono by others, and which they
hide often with SO perfect nlodesty.
knew man TO whom had fallen all
4 the sorrows that could blight us In our
affections. Ie hnd lost a loved wife,
lburied successfully all Ills children of
different ages. But he possesses q largo
fortune, the result Of his labor. Living
with extreme simplicity. almost without
needs for himself. he sought occasions
to do good and TO profit by them. How
many times he surprised people who we're
4 hiding their shameful poverty, how many
means he combined TO bring solace to
4 1niscrics, put a littie light IN dark lives,
no one can imagine. Ills pleasure was to
do good 10 others and to enjoy their as
tonishmcnt when they did not know rom
whence the action started. lie found
Il pleasure IN rcpairing the injusticns of
fate, and In bringing tears OF Joy to
families pursued by misfortune. lie plot
tod, wove, worked III the dark. with n
childish fear OF being caught with his
hand In the sack" They never knew
tho greater part Of his exploits until after
his death; and how many they will never
know!
He wan real sllarer For there are
two kinds. Those who aspire TO share
part OF the goods Of another are numcr-
{ Gus and vulgar. TO be this II sufices 10
have a good appetite. Those who ihrs.
to divide their own goods with those WHO
have none are rare and precious, for to
enter that company OF tho elect one must
have q good aud worthy heart. separated
from self. sensitive 10 happiness as 10