Year: 1861

have done, under the same circumstances.
In the first place, l should never had the
heart TO doubt man who carried an honest
face, and was cold, hungry and ragged. l
should have regarded bis condition as his
claim upon my charity. In the second
place, l should have no time to call upon
his family, and satisfy myself with regard
to their circumstances and in the third
place, / should have felt very delicate about
putting direct questions to them if had.
This same story tells ncidently Of one Of
these men who do good in the proper way.
He visited a house which presented all the
signs Of poverty but the angle Of mercy
was to cute to be tuken in; so he walked up
stairs Everything presented there the
aspect of abject poverty that prevailed be.
low, the angel ofmercy looked around him,
and discovered ladder leading to the gar
ret The angel of mercy "smelt rat" and
mounted the ladder In the garret he founh
half cord of wood, and any quantity Of
goodies for the table. Another denouement
and tableau. Moral as before. If the
story has taught me anything, it is that it
is my duty to question every bcggar that
comes TO my door, visit his house, explore
it from cellar to garret, and satisfy myself
of the truth or the falsehood of his repre-
sentations. Otherwise my charity goes for
nothing, and do my beggar an absolute
unkIndneSs. In other words, while law
holds every man innocent until he is proved
to be guilty, charity holds every man guilty
until he is proved to be innocent. .'r.


1t has become the fashion in certain cir
cles to dccry that benevolence which sits at
home in slippers, and gives its money with.
out seeing where it goes but it is forgotten
that the money dispensed in slippers was
earned in boots, aud that the man who has
money to give has usually so much business
on band that he can make no adequate per-
sonal examination of the cases which are re-
ferred to his charity, / can never forget
Mr. d, ckenS' Cheerybe Brothers, who were
SO very much oblighed to friend for call
ing upon them and telling them of the cir
cumstances of poor family. 1t was taken
as great personal Kindness when they were
Informed how and where they could relieve
want and distress. They had no genius for
going about and looking'up cases Of fcharty
but their hearts leaped at the opportunity
to do good They did their work in their
countingroom, and had no time no talent
for visiting those whom they had benefited /;
but who would question either the genuine
ness or the righteousness Of their benevor
| lence The applications for aid made at
the doors Of our dwellings come oftener to
the mistresses of those dwellings than to the
masters aud these mistresses, four times in
five, are women with The care of children
on their hands, or household duties which
demand almost constant attention. If a
beggar come to the door, they are grateful
tor the oportunity to after relief but they
have no time to visit another quarter of the
town, to learn whether their charities have
been well bestowed, nor do they withhold
their charities through fear of being impos-
ed upon. ..0. ..


In my judgement, the character and cir
CumstanceS Of man determine his Office in
the work of charitable relief know there
are some persons who have pecularna natural
adaptation to the work ofvisiting the subjects
of sickness and need. Their presence and
their sympathy are grateful to those to
whom they delight to minister They are
masters and miStresseS of all those thrifty
economies which enable them to manage for
the poor. They have genuine administra.
tive talent in this particular department.
They are cheerful and active, and sympa-
thetIc and ingenious and they can do more
for a poor, discouraged family with ten dol.
lars than Others can do with fifty. l do
not suppose that these people are one whit
more benevolent than those whose purses
are always open to the poor and who at
the same time would feel very awkward
| a vi nF nho rit nd 81
family visited feel as awkward as themselves.
The poor we have always with us and
every man and woman who possess means
for their relief owes a duty to them which
is 10 be discharged in the most efficient way.
If have money, and do not feel that | am
the proper person to look after the details
Of ils dispensatioD, l will put it into the
hands Of one more competent to the busi-
ness, and l will nationally conclude that |
have done my duty. In the meantime, if a
man come to my door, and ask for the sup
ply Of his immediate necessities, he shall
not be turned empty away because | do not
happen to have the means at hand for veri.
flying his story.


know that there are multtudes Of ten
der hearted women-women Of abounding
beneVolence and sensitive cOnScienee-who
are troubled upon this subject They have
desire to do good, and to do it in the
right way but somehow, they find it impos.
sibe to do it according to the views of the
story-writers. They are anything but rug.
ged in health, perhaps, or they have de-.
pendent family of young children around
them, or the care of their dwellings absorbs


their time They fail to find the opportuni.
ty to visit the poor, or they do not feel
themselves adapted to the Office and still
they carry about with them the uncomfort,
able suspicion that they are meanly shrink.
ing from duty. My thought upon this
point is that my duties never conflict with
one another, and that l have to do good in
one way better than another, then that is
my way to do good shall not permit
the story writers to prescribe for me, moi
shall l allow them to make me uncom
Portable.


There is class of men and women in all
Protestant Communities who think it very
neat thing TO do good at random. They
SOW broadcast of cheap seed, content to
reap nothing at all, aud pleasantly disap
pointed if they find here and there stalk