Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-01-14

why above your gentle comings and
goings we sometimes seem to hear the
rustling wings of ministering angels.
The good hides itself under so many
different forms that one has often as
much pains TO discover it as to unearth
the best concealed crimes. A Rus
sian 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 large
number Of the condemned. but also
among the convict guards. For the
moment one is tempted to exclaim.
Where will not the good hide awayw
And. in truth. life offers here great
surprises and embarrassing contrasts.
There are good men, officially so rec
ognized. quoted among their associ-
ates-I had almost said guaranteed by
the government or the church - who
can be reproached with nothing but
dry and hard hearts, while we are as
tonished to encounter in certain fallen
human beings the most genuine ten
derness and. as It were, thirst FOR
self devotion.
should like to speak next, apropos
OF the ingiorious good, Of class that
today it Is thought quite fitting to
treat with the utmost one sidedness. l
mean the rich. Some people think the
last word Is said when they have stig-
matted that infamy. capital. For
oil -ho
are monsters gorged with the blood OF
the miserable. Others. not 80 declama-
tory. persist, however. in confounding
riches with egoism and insensibility.
Justice should be visited on these er-
rors, be they involuntary or calculated.
No doubt there are rich men who con-
Germ themselves with nobody else, and
others who do good only with oeten-
tation. 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 often hide with
a modesty so perfect?
I knew a man to whom every mis-
fortune had come which can strike us
in our affections He had lost n be-
loved wife, had seen all his children
buried one after another. But he had
a great fortune. the result Of his own
labor. Living In the utmost SIMPLE
ity, almost without personal wants, he
spent his time In searching for oppor-
tunities to do good and prof1ting by
them. How many people he surprised
in fragrant poverty. what means he
combined for relieving distress and
lighting up dark lives, with what
kindly thoughtfulness he took his
friends unawares, no one can imagine.
He liked to do good to others and en-
JOY their surprise when they did not
know whence the relief came. 1t
pleased him to repair the injustices OF
fortune. to bring tears of happiness In
families pursued by mischance. He
was continually plotting, contriving.
matchmaking in the dark. with child
ish fear of being caught with his hand
in the bag. The greater part of these
fine deeds We're not known till after
bis death; the whole of them we shall
never know.
He was n 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
belong to their order it suffices to have
big appetite. Those who are hun
gering to divide their own goods with
men who have none are rare and pre-
cious. for to enter this choice company
there Is need OF a brave and noble
heart free from selfishness and sensi-
tive to both the happiness and unhappi-
ness Of its fellows. Fortunately the race
of these socialists is not extinct, and
feel an unalloyed satisfaction in Offer
ing them tribute they never claim.
l must be pardoned for dwelling up
on this. 1t does one good to Offset the
bitterness Of so many infamies, SO
many calumnies, 80 much charlatan-
ism, by resting the eyes upon some
thing more beautiful. breathing the
perfume Of these stray corners where
simple goodness flowers.
A lady, a 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
tables. to corruption-the whole food
Of superficial and mundane life. She
did not speak the word Babylon, but
doubtless il was out of pity for one Of
the inhabitants Of this city Of per-
iition.
ALAS, yes. madam; these things arc |
uod I'M roy1 hova not ooon