The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-06-02
THE WOLF At THE DOOR
CAUSE Of MOST CRIME
Herbert Bigelow Philosophers on
the Old Legend of Good st.
Francis.
How a Scrap Of Brown Paper
Was Franked After San Fran
cisco Fire.

Vine Street Congregational church
last Sunday Rev. Herbert Bigelow
chose for his topic, the "Wolf at the
Door" He made his usual novel COM
ments on the old st. Francis legend,
and spoke In part as follows:
There Is a legend OF st. Francis
which has a moral for us moderns.
1t is related that st. Francis came
upon the inhabitants of a town which
had been greatly outraged by the de-
predations Of wolf. Seeing that the
cause was economic rather than
moral. he sought out the wolf and
made a covenant of peace with him.
Brother Wolf" said he he, 'inas-
much as 1t pleases you to make and
keep this peace. I promise you that
so long as you shall live, you shall
not suffer hunger, for-as-much as !
your crime. But since I have got for
you this grace, I require, brother Wolf,
your promise never again to do harm
to any human being, neither to any
beast. Do you promise?" And st.
Francis stretching forth his hand, the
wolf uplifted his right paw and gave
the pledge of faith as best he could.
Would not men be more just and
generous If there were some st. Fran
els to make a. covenant with the wolf
at their door? Is not much Of the
vice and crime Of society economic
rather than moral? It would not be
possible, perhaps 1t would not be de-
sirable, to have an equality Of mater
q NnYoS (o
tsate to prevent oppression while
neither protecting men from the re-
suits Of their Incidence nor denying
them the fruits Of their industry.
Fear of Poverty Root Of Much Evil.
Is it not reasonable to believe that
vice and crime would be diminished If
every man who was willing to work
could be sure Of food convenient for
him so that If he could not hope for
riches he need, at least, have no fear
OF poverty? The poet calls our trade
a WAR grown miserly." Would not
the industrial war begin to take ON
the aspect of a friendly corporation
If there were no wolf at the door to
make men afraid? The fear of pover-
ty Is the root Of much evil.
~. The 9oodness4a 4se In 11,erf
Is promise Of what might be If each
man dwelt under his own vine and
fig tree and there were no fear of
poverty to make him afraid.
A father in Cincinnati received
through the mails a note written upon
piece Of brown paper. It was the
first word from his boy In San Fran
cisco Wires were down. Trains were
stopped. Yet the boy remembered the
anxiety OF the hearts at home, He
snatched from the burning a. scra
Of paper. He hurriedly wrote in pencil
that he was safe. He gave it to a
chance stranger who was fleeing from
the city. The stranger promised to
leave 1t at the first post office,
That scrap Of paper with the pencil
scrawl had no stamp Upon 1t. Yet
no postmaster rejected it. It must
have been read at each office. It was
message Of glad tidings. No one
stopped it. It was franked all the wav
Officialdom forgot it's red tape. Hu-
manity rose above ,tt~ law. To a
father and mother sitting in darkness
1t came-a fash Of hope, sent by heart
thrills from city to city, from coast
to coast.
Mephistopheles said: "How men
torment themselves Is all I've noted. -
lie failed to see also how they trv tn
love each other.