The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-12-12
SEASON or CHARITY PERpLI.XED.

This is the season Of charity perpeXed The
books alike Human nature is in a melting
mood It takes positive Joy III foolish expendi-
ture, charging up its mistakes to profit
and loss Of the holiday season. Childrens
Things are seen through brilliant mist OF
memories The Christmas spirit plays strange
pranks with habit Cheer enters the heart as
frost vhitens the helds
All this is good, and satisfyine and ennobling
II carries, however. its danger. We are all of
seasonal exhiliration Of generous Impulse We
apt to forget that charity is strong pull
and long pull, that tno poor are with us. nor
only at chtlstmastlde ont aiNays that IN the
very largcsse al the holiday outpouring there
is the want to meet tn everyday usistent, ina
perativc demands OF seasons that are not holt
days The satisfaction OF holiday impulse to
give Ia bought AT price waen II results in a
temporary charity making for more permanent
seltishness.
enc of the things apt to sdfter al lite Christ,
mas season is the organized. hfty.two weeks
three hundred and sXt g-hve days in the year
ehartabe organizations At a time when it is
easX to empty the pocket. and Joyous to respond
10 appeals. ~e are apt to take these things too
much for granted. Apt 10 forget that their work
is founded on the exercise OF tho Christmas
spirit Il routine. instead of rs tho inspiration
al a festival Apt 10 overlook In meeting the
holiday halfway the fact that with them the
BATTER is not II holiday but a business And
apt To forget in the enthusiasm of personally
scattering aims that the need Of contributions TO
alay suffering and 10 fight want goes on In
the same matterof-faet Way iii christmas times
- well ar other times. among those to whom the
bare necessities OF food and fire are things of
daily experience. rather than holiday Injuries
Dr Buchanan Superintendent of the Associated
Charities calls attention to the oistence of the
Christmas ifnposters among the street beggars
While Tire V9in.aa has time and again PRO
tested AGAINST city permission to these people
70 ply their trade at any time while it recog.
nizes the fraud that the perpetrate upon a gen
erous people, do not at this time counsel
individuals is an act carving its own satisfac.
ton. II is Christmas indulgence 10 which
IN some amount or other almost every one il
APT to Weld But what would counsel "a
that in yielding to such natural extravapaucc
there be not forgotten the organizations which
do a yearly obligation what we are ant 10
do for one day. or one week Dependent upon
tho charity Of the people organized 10 conserve
the dollars of charity and administer them on II
business basis. they are for that reason not so
business-like to be left oat of the Christmas
budget To us comes Christmas once n war.
to them its call is the call Of duty. plain and
insstent. unbeautiful, but imperative II were
pity If the longest and fattest stocking on tha
ctvs mantel should fail in any respect of that
to fill ii full on Christmas morning II were
greater pity II. for the sake of Christmas.
there should be forgotten the obligation which
the Christ Himself made one of the pillars of
his philosophy.