The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-10-16
PHILANTHROPY
FEMININE
Copyright, 1906, by w. R. Caldwell
BY CLAUDE PAMARES

HI; Copyright, 1906, by w. r. Caldwell "
1t could not be said of Miss Hatsie
Sheffiin, spinster, that at the age OF
thirty-eight she was a good looking
woman spinster of that age cannot
be expected to be. The most that can
be expected is that she will be kind
hearted and have desire to reform
the world and elevate the moral stand
ing of humanity generally.
Miss Shefflin had that desire. In visit
ing New York city she had many, many
times observed hard up looking men
who were seemingly drifting into
careers of wickedness because there
was no one at hand to encourage them
and hold out helping hand. She had
often been tempted to address them
but her brother Ben happened to be
along or she had seen some policeman
watching her or the hard up looking
man made a sneak as she was about to
stop.
1t was when Brother Ben went to
Europe on business that his sister de-
termined to carry out her long cher
ished plans. She had the time and the
money, and the steamer was hardly
clear of Fire island when she was In
the city with her trunk and installed In
a boarding house where she had been
acquainted for number of years. In
confidence she told the landlady of the
object of her visit. 1t was all very well
pitfalls and colleges, but when a man
was walking the streets of New York
with hunger gnawing at his vitals and
hope gone out of his heart, of what
use were such institutions to him7
"If you don't make a fool of yourself
then I don't know how to make hash"
replied the practical and level headed
landlady, as she remembered the names
of a few hard up men of the scores thai
had taken her in for a few weeks
board since she had been in the board
Ing house business.
But how can l make fool Of my.
self, as you term it?'' was asked. "If
speak kindly and encouragingly to
some hopeless and penniless man, If
help him to a situation; If / give him
the opportunity to earn an honest liv.
ing once more. where can you criti
cise?''
'Never you mind. You've got money,
and you've got heart, and I've moth
ing further to say"
If she had had anything further to
say it would have done no good. II
wasn't two hours later that Miss Shelf
fin set out on her quest She hadn't
far to look. Any one who is seeking
homeless, hopeless man from twenty
five to seventy years of age can find
him in upper Broadway at any hour OF
the day or night. He is there and look.
ing for a good thing.
Miss Sheff1in found one leaning up
against the railing in front of a drug
store. His face betrayed gloom and his
general attitude disconsolation, and as
he looked in the bottles in the window
he seemed to be wondering which held
laudanum and which strychnine. She
was about TO address him when plain
clothes detective came from the other
direction and said to the man:
.'Now, then, out of this or I'll run
you in
The hopeless man sighed and moved
on YEARLY He moved like one hurt
and Inundated He moved down to.
ward the East river, as if he would
take header off the dock and end IL
all. Miss Shefiin followed after, and
at the corner she overlook him and
said:
"You seem to be in trouble, sir, and
if can assist you / shall be glad to dc
So"
He was man about thirty years old.
He had tin horn gambler and free
lunch written all over him, but the old
maids eyes detected no sign He look.
ed at her for q minute and wondered
what sort of plant it was. Then
he became conscious that he had
struck one of those good things" he
had read about and heard tell OLA
female philanthropist Removing his
hat and deepening his hopeless look,
he replied:
Miss, l have been out of work for
weeks and weeks, and, so help me
heaven, l have had no food for two
days. was thinking of throwing
myself under a street car and ending
it ALL"
How wicked to think of taking youl
own lifel''
But of what use to live and walk
the streets penniless and hungry
Didn't you just see a detective drive
me along like a dogY'
u did, and | felt almost like shoot
ing him. Please follow me to my
boarding house and tell me your story"
He followed. He winked at an ac
quaintance as he followed, and his
landlady as he entered the house after
Miss Shefiiin, and he heaved a sigh OF
relief as he found her face unfamiliar.
At the same time, however, he real
lied that she was not philanthropic
landlady-not one TO be taken in by
any ordinary tale of distress.
Sitting in the parlor beside the old
maid and working up all the pathos he
could, the tin horn man told his tale
1t was one that brought tears to her
eyes. He was honest enough to plead
guilty to emDezzling $50 from his EN-
ployer to BET on the races and penitent
enough to say that nothing on the face
of the earth ever again should lead
him into crooked paths if he could get
new start.
She had been the first and only one
to speak a kind word She had been
the first and only one not to conaeml
him too strongly and to lead hiEs t.
believe that his crime might be con-
doned and a new start made. He was
told that he should have free room and
board until he could look around. Adj
vertisements should be put In the pa
pers to aid him. Miss Sheftiin herself