Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-07-15
q SARAH y. LOWRLE,S
7 SATURDAY EVENING TALK
Ws Are Our Brothers Keepers Whether Ne Want to Be
or Not
or Not

them into the world, let nlon" feed
them as they came along. 1t was
plainly then her family's affair to
help support them. since there WASH {
enough from her husbands earnings.
4 and never could be, to successfully
carry the burden. The family was not
well of. and helping her meant sac
riiice to older persons who would have
| been better relieved of that money
strain. What she had done as being
her. own affair was. in the end, n
humiliating burden that she WIS forced
TO share with others. and the chief suf :
ferers were the children who had to
forgo some real necessities in their
growing years.
TNliAT early experience in the fuct Of
l. not living To Yourself was an eye
opener 10 me as to other matrimonial
ventures worked ont on the same prln-
ciple. but it was not until the other
day that ! realized how closely we
nre related In the matter of family
responsibilities. The present enthu-
siasm, for instance. for separate ca
reers which SO prevails among the
young. the desire not to live NJ home.
and the haphnzard eating and lodging
experiences that the ''go-as you
please away from home existence in
solves, all sound So cut loose and indie
pendent. But that Bohemian. unsettled
way Of eating and sleeping and work
ing PLAYS an ugiy trick on that or
dinGrv life function that we call "the
digestion and the world wandcrer
turns up i'll in mind and body one
fine day. used mp temporarily at least
and very much the home folks bust
ness.
And Il docs not always stop there.
there being II sort " endless chain of
Illness in the unwonted strain of
breakdown of one of a family Some
one has the care and the manipulation
Of that cOnvalcsccnce. even if much
of the worry is taken off by good man
age,ncnt. Some one has to bear the
brunt of the illness besides the patient
The paying IS not MI done by the one
who did the spending. Whether one
intends II or not, ones brother Is in
Il sense ones keeper. We run up
debts that we cannot quite pay without
help debts of sickness. or unhappi.
ness or misfortune. or sheer fatigue.
The mer" being irritable because one
is tired is making others pay. and pay
very diSagreenbly for some excess we
chose 70 indulge in without cOnsidera
tIOn If all the consequences.
Looking ut it in that light. am
aware that the absurd and annoying
summons for the debt of my late en-
ploy" is only cariCature of what |
myself am doing all the time. no doubt.
bo'hrring the mcrest strangers with my
bad debts of temper. or nerves or mis-
taken Judgment. or flash in the pan
opinions, or gossip or poor reasoning.
~ in m fp a nb
forGivcncsS-and our Lord said
very great deal Mt one time or another.
both publicly and privately. it hSing
matter much on the minds Of His dis
ciples, evldently--pprhap His idea of
forgiveness Ind more tn do with these
debts OF sctishneSS and poor Judgment
and foolish use of ones body and mind
which we run up. sO unconscious of the
havoc we are working in the lives of
OF hers.
Those are the debts Of everyday liv.
ing: il we do not forgive others by
them in part they will leave
US no excuse for the ones we run up
on our own account which call for for
bearance and ANXIOUS care and steady
sharing. and affcCtionate sympathy
without repr0aChcS or II told YOU
So - from our friends and casual com
panons.
There have been prisons where the
floor space was so crowded that all the
prisoners could NOT lie down or even
sit down at the sam" time: some had
TO take turns in standing while Others
rested. Thank God. this world is not so
crowded as that but in very real
sense no ono Can live in II 70 HIM
self. We suffer by the folliPs as we'll
&S by the sins Of our ncighbors. No