Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-08-04
SOME OBSERVATIONS
On the Ways Of Men-=Are they
True?

There was blind man in the city
last week, playing on the street
corners, and we stood by for a few
moments 60 watch for statistics on
those who would pass. In a con-
verSatiOn with the person who
| accompanied him we were told that it
would be an interesting thing to
watch and see how the characteristics
of the human family were all shown
in the throng that passed the
minstrel
| Among those who passed a number
stood by, after passing few feet,
stopping to see of the music was to be
of an excellence worth listening to.
These people forgot that the man was
blind: they thought nothing of the
| terrible misfortune that had Overtaken
| him: they thought only Of
gratifying their own wishes, that of
hearing some good music.
Others passed by on the outside of
the sidewalk and did not look at the
unfortunate with other than passing
| glance. There may be several reasons
assigned for this. One that was
heard several times as we stood near,
was that the paSser by had been
| buncoed SO many times that he was
not going to be caught again. This
seems a credlta5le excuse, but when
one thinks that the person passes by
| the unfortunate and perhaps does not
see him again, how did he know he
had been buncoed? Indeed, it is
better to be DuncOed a number of
times and finally help one who needs
it than to miss single chance to help
along the dreaTy path Of life one who
is bereft OF sight, II business we
would expect to find such a person
close fisted, caring only for his own
purse, at the expense of others.
There is another class Of people who
passed by on the outside Of the walk.
They are those who consider it
| beneath their dignity to even look at
| one SO low in life as a poor cripple who
| needs must play beside the road for
| the very bread he eats. Yet before
| the Ruler of all things, he stands as
| high as they. Such is the opinion
often held of themselves by persons
who have some success in life.
Among those that contributed TO
| the unfortunate man were a great
number of young men. We have
| then, class of free hearted and big
hearted young men who are to make
the coming population, good sign
surely. Nearly every aged person who
passed contributed to the sum that
meant the very life of man. Age,
then, teaches us to be charitable, and
| these observations should, through
giving the experiences of these old
persons, infuse into the minds of the
younger generations that after all,
| the best in life is being above all
| things charitable to everyone.
In noting the apparent financial
condition of the persons who aided the
| old man on his way with a little
money, we were surprised to note that
almost all Of it was given by those
who have to toll with their hands for
their living. Scarcely any was given
by those who have more to give. 1t
seems, then, that the common labor
ing together for their own bread
imparts to each tOiier spirit of
generosity and kind heartedness to
everyone who is in need of help, and
fosters a spirit of fellowship among
all men. From this shall we deduce
that among the ''horny handed sons
of toil' we are to find the best Of the
real men? Shall we say that among
the toilerS we shall find those most
favored with those qualities which
make up the ideal man?
1t was as the blind mans friend had
said: observations on the passing
lcrowdS gave us a new insight into the
ways of men that could have been
gotten in no other way than by years
of experience in the dealings with
mankind. 1t is worth thought.