Ka Nupepa Elele, Volume XII, Number 14, 15 November 1890 — INDELICATE CHARITY. [ARTICLE]

INDELICATE CHARITY.

It has heretofore been charged that the aremge Anierumn is uot a persoa ot āōliesta saseeptihiritios, but tlmt liie nature one 0f rather coarse fibev, The Mail.wouW 11 ot readily admit tlie truth of such a'wholesale charge, but it cftTinot do other than aeknowledge that circumstances not infrequentl}r oeeui' in this country whieh appear to give the liater of Amerīca and Amei'ieanp some ground for making sucli a < ha^e. A case in point: Recently a woman, a resident of this Stat6, the daughter 0f an eminent American and tliē wife of a still moi e eminent one, has been reduced to poverty. To assist such a woman—or any othev- human being for that inatter —was one of the most sacred of duties. But it was none the less a duty to render such assistance in sucli a delicate and chivalrous manner as eouhl not by possibility... wound the most selisitive of spirits. Wliat was indeed done?

No sooner was the fact of poverty discovered than a thousand wellmeaning but thigk-skinned papers heralded it abroad to the world. All the changes were rung on Mrs. Blank's poverty, Mrs* Blank's v merit and Mrs. Blank' s need. Editorsvied with eaeh other in publicly solieiting alms £or tlii» eminent woman and "sweet charity" was asked for her throughout the leugth and Jbreadth o£ the land.

' !Now for tbe spirit whieli prompts tliis public eall tlie Mail lxas notliiug but commandatiou, but it does sgoiu that the edltors who could r thus jfor got all delicac.y must have the liide of a rhinoceros over the heart of a canary l>ird. There was uo excuse for placing this woman iu the rolo of a pulilie alms-receiver. Would not the rich men in the city where she resides and who-, after her want was made puhlie property, gave her huudreds of dollars, have given as mueh without public proclamatin of her need? Doubtless they wouli and others would have done the same. The kindlv tmd meritorious act might have been dono w ithoutpublio ostentation and display, as well as withouthurtingthefeelings ofits rocipient It is strange that a sense of delicacy and better breeding does not prevent such advertisement both of want and charity and, while such things are done, it is little wond«r that sojuc people elaim that the Ameiiean is not a persou of refiued sonsibilities. . j A little less display of charity aml' a.littl6 less |iublic announcement of the }iovertv of respectablo would be an improvenient on tho present eonduct of such aflairs.