Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-11-20

even a temporary plenty into the
homes where plenty is stranger.
Food and clothing are the first things
We think OF. because without them II
seems like mockery to mention
other Joys President Wilson was
right when he said that a man could
lot be at his best on an empty stom-
ach Few OF us can get up much en-
thuslasm for anything when the
pangs OF unsatisfied hunger are
| gnawing at our interior arrange
mcnts. Yet, because food is so nee
/ ossary, and clothing its nearest sec
ond, we should not fail into the er-
ror OF thinking that such things are
the uoblost aspirations Of any peo-
| pie. even among the submerged
tenth" Few indeed are those. no
matter how hungry or cold. nor how
grateful they may be to those who
have supplied these needs who do
not long for something higher and
boiler than mere physical essentials,
they long for brotherly love and fell
lowship. for chance 10 hold their
heads up among men, for an encour-
aEcmcnt TO go ahead and conquer the
difficulties which fate has thrown
around them.
As one author puts It: The great
want of man is sympathy with his
fcllow-man My brother Is down
among the multitude and ne wants
communion with me. lie wants the
communion more than the bread. Let
me put myself In the place OF the
multitude. Let me remember that
the human heart is, deep down, al
ways the same. Let me cease TO i'm
pute to the muutuGo the mere sor-
did desire for gain. Let me learn
that to them. ns to me. the bread of
life is sweetest when IT comes from
a brothers love. when shall re
ceive this lesson l shall no more
deem that the presence of the crowd
dims my communion with God"
And the author is right. So far from
losing anything of the good of com
munion with the divine. we learn
means to us when we get to the
heart, as we'll as the stomach, OF our
fellow II we have been load
ed down with benefits. then there is
all tho more reason why we should
ass them around to those who are
not SO fortunate And such benefits
need not be exclusively the physical !
essentials Of existence, but greater
blessing is ours II We reach q com
prchension Of the heart of him whom |
We would bene fit-for has he not |
been starving FOR sympathy and un-
lcrstanding Just as thoroughly as he |
has FOR bread? He who would draw |
near 10 God is on the right road |
v hen he draws near in loving sym |
pathy 10 his fellow-men. those who |
by their own bMnders or the muta- |
tons OF fate have been denied most |
u the things which we think make |
NE worth living
Beware Of trying to put people un-
der obligations 10 you. This is not |
real charity. but cold commercial |
instinct. True charity figures not on |
returns, but is solely concerned with |
the welfare OF those who need help. |
Nothing is much more despisable |
han the almsgiver who deals out his |
benefits according TO the amount OF |
gratitude he expects TO earn. or who |
IS extensively patronizing in giving
MS gifts. We are not comforting a
'avor on tho needy so much as We are
iischarging a debt In fulfilling what
ought to be the most pleasant of
'uues. Real charity Is voluntary and
spontaneous 1t Is not something to
be bought and sold or figured in the
assets The true services OF nfe."
says Stevenson, ''are inestimable in
money. and are never paid. Kind |
words and carcsses. high and wise
thoughts, humane designs, tender be
saVior 10 the weak and suffering, and
III the charities OF mans existence.
IRE neither bought nor sold" Then.
while we are passing out TO the
1eedy OF the plenty that falls TO our
OF. let us remember that kind
word or an act of sympathy may live
onger in the gratitude OF the recip-
ent than any OF the things that cost
money, and we will find that there |
"a new song in our hearts that per
charity cannot bring.