Evening star., 1927-12-30
Are elderly women the only chari-

Are elderly women the only chari-
table persons?
It was noticeable during Christmas
week that the great crowd of happy
young people who thronged certain
busy thoroughfare mostly passed by
the lonely bcggar on the sidewalk.
Don't pass nae by" he importuned.
from his place at their feet; but. man
and woman, they passed on. 1t was
only an occasional elderly woman. in
neat black, with white hair showing
beneath a black hat. who stopped and
leaned over to drop a coin in his hand
We watched this spectacle for full
10 minutes, and during that time no
person under the age of go years, at
the least. paid any particular atten-
ton to the man on the sidewalk
The thought Games that increasing
years must add to the store of pity
which most of us have so little Of, and
that the charitable giving of aims is
something that most persons do not
seem very much interested in.
There was no escaping knowledge
of the beggar. He was exactly in the
middle of the pavement where every
one, coming from either direction. had
to walk around him.
convenient to overlook him, both from
physical and menta standpoint.
Packages clutched in we'll clad arms,
smiles wreathing their faces. young
women strode on. their silken stock
ingS cleaning in the sunshine.
Young men paid no more attention
to their poor brother underfoot. But
any one who might have been inter-
ested would have seen. now and then,
a person in the Scdate clothing OF age
detach herself from the crowo ana
hurry back to drop aims, in the name
of God.
How many have read or heard the
story of Brother Juniper. "one of the
most chosen disciples and first COM
panions of St Francis?" 1t is to be
found in the Little Flowers" in the
translation as edited by Cardinal Man
ming.
Since It is impossible for any one to
better the simplicity Of telling of the
Italian, we present verbatim two OF
the chapters from the life of our char
acter. who contrasted so strongly with
tl.ose of us today who pass beggars
without so much as look:
Brother Juniper was so full OF pity
and compassion IOr Lne poor tlat WIeli
he saw any one poor or naked he I'M
medately took off his tunic, or the hood
of his cloak. and gave it to him.
The guardian therefore laid an
obedience upon him not to give away
his tunic or any part Of his habit.
fey. DAYS afterwards a poor half-naked
man asked an aims of Brother Juniper
for the love OF God. who answered him
with great compassion. 1 have nothing
which I could give thee but my tunlc.
and my superior has laid me under
obedience not to give it, nor any part
Of my habit, to any one. But II thou
wilt take 1t off my back ] Will not re-
sist thee
He did not speak to a deaf man;
for the beggar forthwith stripped him
OF his tunic, and went off with 1t.
When Brother Juniper returned home.
and was asked what had become OF
the tunic. he replied. A good man took
il off my back and went away with
it. And as the virtue OF compassion
increased in him, he was not con-
tented with giving his tunic. but would
give books. or cloaks. or whatever ne
could lay his hands on. to the poor.
For this reason the brethren took
care to leave nothing in the common
rooms OF the convent. because Brotner
Juniper gave away everything for tne
love OF God and to the glory oil his
name"
Perhaps the Christmas story OF
Brother Juniper shows that brave TEL
low at his best.