Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-08-27
HOUSEHOLD HELPS
Generosity and Common Sense.
'IIe gave who had naught to give.
And Ruin came.

called "Betel Nuts" it Is a saying OF
the people of Hindustan and, truly,
there is wisdom in the curt lines.
We hear SO much about the cheerful
giver"-the man who would take the
shirt off his back, etc."-and did you
ever happen to notice that there is al
ways somebody ready and waiting to
help him take that shirt off his back?
They get the shirt and he keeps the
back.
Of course, we utterly despise him
that mean, penurious, skinfiinty old
miser who wouldn't give starving
man handout, but isn't there some
thing equally fatiguing about the per-
SON who is always plying somebody,
to whom half the world are poor
souls,' who always has subscription
paper cached somewhere near to
spring on you, who is constantly dig
ging into his own shallow purse, when
his shoes need half-soling and his
gloves look like mitts?
Isn't generosity weakness when 1t
is carried too far?
Isn't it q weakness for one to give
Christmas presents out Of all proper
ton to his means merely because he
likes to give?
Isn't it weakness quite as much as
generosity in the person who orders
elaborate dinners for his guests when
he knows the expense will entail half
rations for days to come?
Isn't it weakness to be unable to
refuse money to the street beggar,
when you know he'll only hit the high
places getting to a glass of beer?
Is it weakness or generosity which
makes it impossible to refuse loans
| that you know you'll never see again,
| to ipdorse notes which you know you'll
have to pay, to contribute toward tube
rose crosses for somebody's funeral, or
| cut-glass punch bowls for somebody's
| wedding when your own rent is due
and the milkman has camped on your
doorstep?
Once upon time there was a news
paper man in an editorial position who
harped much upon the hideousness of
selfshness. Being generous, being
white" as he called it, was his hob
by. He had theory about giving of
yourself" by which he meant that one
should give the best of all that was in
| him to his friends, to his acquaint
| ances, to those with whom he came in
| casual contact. 1t sounded all right
it did for fact. The thought often
| came in listening to his dissertations
/ that the world would be a fine place
indeed If the rest Of it thought as this
man did, and lived up to their beliefs.
One of the forms which this mans
giving -of-yourself' religion took was
| answering personally the letters of all
| the people VINO wrote to him.
Most of mis- correspondents seemed
to be in trouble and he made their
trouble his own. He answered vol
uminously, in detail, and gave to them
| the best of his knowledge and expert
ence. He wrote a very charming and
interesting letter and his correspond
ents seemed so pleased and fiattered
| by his interest in their case that they
wrote again; also they told their
friends about him and their friends
wrote aud laid their troubles before
him until it came to pass that most of
the subscribers to the paper appeared
to be corresponding with him. The
troubles Of these letter writer's seemed
to pertain mostly to their "jobs'' or
| lack of them, so when this editor
should have been selfishly eating his
l
giving of himself" and hunting a
Job" tor somebody.
He had travelled much and therefore
beside the correspondents he never
saw he had many whom he had met in
this place and that. He answered all
their letters as promptly and as en-
| tertainingly as possible.
But this extensive letter-writing took
of his vitality-it was a strain upon
him mentally and physically. The
vigor Of his real work suffered thereby,
but no amount Of argument could con-
vince him that it was unjust to his
paper and other than selfish to ignore
the letter writer's and their need Of
'jobs" merely to save his own
| strength.
And he gave Of himself in other
ways. He had a comfortable apart
| ment consisting of several rooms and
the floors at night looked like field
after sham battle. He was usual
| ly among the slain, too, for the reason
| that although he had comfortable
bed there were always two or three
| guests who beat him to it,
Most of his friends and acquain-
tances became independent Of their
landladies. When these landladies de-
manded their rent they merely moved
and a hanson was usually quite
sufficient to convey their belongings to
this comfortable apartment
They settled upon his table like To-
| Gusts and If there wasn't anything in
the place they liked when they dropped
In during his absence they frequently
purchased something they did like and
charged 1t to his account at the store.
They wore his shirts, his shoes, his
frock coat went to teas and his din
ner clothes frequently dined out: his
tall hat was crushed by cabman
while on some ones else head
1t was all very quaint and humorous.
And when his excellent salary only
paid his expenses the man who gave
of himself smiled good-naturedly and
was sincerely glad that he was able to
help SO many Of his friends who found
themselves in tight places.
One day he went to pieces physically
and hnancially-he shot the shutes
quick. From an isolated cabin in the
Co,,f1,orv, 70 inc bo