The Irish standard., 1905-12-02
DEEDS OF KINDNESS.
The Giving Of Useful Gifts Uppermost
in Her Mind,


woman said to a friend, IL live
to make Christmas presents the COM
ing Christmas 1 intend to try to con-
fine my giving as far as possible to
useful gifts. The reason l am won
over to this utilitarian view is the re-
suit of a pair of bedroom slippers.
Yes a pair of homemade knit wool
slippers. They We're presented to me
by friend and for two or three years
lay tucked away in a drawer little
thought of, little valued. But illness
came and when convalescent l be-
thought me of the slippers and
brought them forth, and oh, the COM
fort of the soft, yielding things! Many
times have I blessed the giver, and
offered up many sincere little petit
tion that she might be rewarded for
her thoughtfulness, for l am sure l
should never have had the good sense
to have provided myself with such a
luxury if this Dorcas had not given
me the work of her hands,"
| We many times hear people of
| meagre means say, What can l do? l
have nothing to give, and nothing to
do with" Few of us but can afford the
cost Of some little useful article, and
how often, as shown in the foregoing
no o,>1, - st-{ oc,,1 A., 4
comes in for a generous share of ap-
probation. The particular slippers in
question were made by a girl in the
convalescent days after a severe siege
of typhoid fever. She lightened the
tedium of recovery by knitting slip
pers for friends. In some instances
material was furnished, in others the
slippers were paid for, as the young
woman was not rich enough to give
slippers to all her many friends.
have thought if our charitable So
cieties, such as the Confratcrnity ol
st. Gabriel, and others, whose mission
is chiefly to shut-in members, would
introduce the practice Of furnishing
instructions and material to shut-ir
members who could not afford the ex.
pense, in such directions as would ap.
peal to their taste and fancy, what {
real, practical blessing would come in.
to their lives. Interesting correspond.
ence and religious literature are al
right, but the means Of some simple
and useful employment would prove
a light giver also. Many women O.
wealth are members of such societies
In what better direction could thei
charity money be utilized?
A neighbor called upon a nearb,
friend, a woman who did her ow,
housework, and offered to care fo
her little children on Sunday morn
ings, during the time of one or othe
Of the church services, in order tina
this over-taxed woman might have th'
opportunity Of attending Mass. Now
was not this an act of charity? Yet i
cost little, only little time out Of {
kindhearted, thoughtful woman's bus!
life. Perhaps no act of charity tina
she performed met with the thankful
ness Of this neighborly action. Ar
there not those among your acquaint
ances, friends, or kinfolks, who woult
appreciate such an act of charitable
thoughtfulness, and who is so poor a.
not to be able to give a bit Of loving
service? We meet and have to d,
with people who are so religiousl!
biased. ignorant, and selfish, that the!
would not, even now and then, den!
themselves the attendance at Mas
that another might attend, no matte
IL the other never obtained the chanc,
Of attending. There is great deal o
zeal in this world that is little short o
ignorant fanaticism, and grea
deal of imagined lf-sa crifice that Il
little more than selfishness. pure ant
simple. 1 once knew Of a young wo