The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-12-20

uOCd W. go
and help you by thought, by spoken
or written language to point a moral
or adorn a tale? Never thought Of
it before? Well now it is suggested to
Won, voull admit that you had
thought Of that very circumstance
many a time, only you just hadn't
aiken the pains to think about think
ing of it at all.
Alas, for the rarity,
OF Christian charity.
Under the sun.
These words from the Song Of the
Shirt" kept humping on my mental
door the other day as I descended the
steps thai lead to the street from q
city court room.
] could not help thinking o
the cases of little boys l saw tried up
there, with the very solemn and Sc
date Judge asserting straight and high
on the cupaIo, or perch provided there
in place of the ordinary Judge stan'1,
and the throng of uniformed brass
buttoned policemen sWarmlng about,
with lots Of negroes on the side or a
fence built there to keep the nigs n
whites apart
7 recalled the fact hat in the con-
test for judicial honors one candidate
promised if elected to try little boys
in a sort OF i~mprovised Juvenile court.
apart from the gaping or terrifying
crowd. And all Of the other anti
dates for judge then agreed II they
succeeded they would do that thlnS
too. It might ave been done q
while. before the fuz was wiped off
of the judicial peach. but it isn't be-
ing done now, which it ought to-
everywhere.
There was a little darby up there;
-xEo ~x,aro hir dimpOSiONS seven ir
years and fifty in looks. There were
two little white boys looking TO be
etwee s and 10, sheep;shly viewing
the throng of Justice and sobbfng in
pain of disgrace and ignorant childish
fear of dire peril no doubt, FOR their
lives. What if the rest OF us did
Know that in that seat of Judgment
sat a kindly hearted Judge, one who
loves to temper mercy with justice,
and whose heart goes out in Synpa-
thy for the erring, be he ever SO white
or so black. so bic or so little. Those
little fellows could not be expected to
know this, and they should be spared
this ordeal, not only for their own
childish sakes, but for the sake or
their parents Or protectors, or kin
who suffer shame when one Of their
own is caught in the drag net Of the
law for some childish breach.
Now go a step further back and we
will see where that need of Christian
charity m in. MI up and down
the street are displayed with but lit
tie protection, all kinds of tempting
articles of merchandise tenlpt1ngly
arranged to induce people to buy. A
little gamin who never Owned q thing
so useful, SO shining. so beautiful in
all his life stands worshipping q lot OF
pocket knives. Perhaps he has look
ed and admired and coveted a dozen
times Just one Of this glittering group
of priceless ivory and steel, and as
many times resi-ed the impulse to
take Just one. But his little humane
nature grows weaker, as he da1lies
with danger. and f1uttering too near
the candle flame, lit there by some
big, so-called Christian tradesman to
tempt older people to buy. and this boy
make a desperately impulsive sweep
towards the bright light of his desire,
and gets his wings singed. But he
gets the knife. And some one besides
Cod sees him. The knife, or III
baseball. or the mitt. or the bat, or
Whatever it may be is recovered and
the yOungster caught. / know some
men. who lay no claim to piety or re-
iiSlous zeal. who invariably in such
cases, without exposure, seek to re-
form the boy by either taking him to
MS parents, or in case the bOy prefers
it, give him a dressing down in some
back lot respecting the little fellows
pride in not wishing his folks to
know how weak or how mean he has
Deen under great temptation and un-
usua provocation.
Now, that is charity.
L Know some others whose fortune
reaches into six figures, whose gem
crosby is paraded, whose ~benevolence
IS TAXED about; who occupy the chief
seats IN the SynapOo,,a orI rooJyo
broad their "philanthropy." And some
OF these phone for a policeman. and
hustle these little weaklings off to
court as If they had committed a
burgarly or arson, or had maIiciously
done Wanton damage without tempta-
ton CT invitation to pilfer.
And whenever ] see one Of these
boys up before these august courts in
little dirty court rooms. trembling for
lAEGX. thipl Of. - 4 nd I0Saaa-