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THE PAVEMENT OF HELL

It Is Revealed in Blundering Efforts to Do Good "Regardless."

Danger in Benevolence Without Consideration Behind it -- Overturning the Existing Order.

There is no charitable industry -- if that expression may be used -- more energetically conducted in Omaha and In Nebraska than the finding of homes for homeless children, or the accuring of good homes for children who live in poor ones. This is, undoubtedly, a sensible, practical and beautiful charity. But it is one in which the most careful judgement needs to be exercised. The point of view of the person who makes a profession of charity is not always the best. Long familiarity with misery in many forms and the nose for economizing time, strength and money leads such person, however excellent they may be, to take a perfunctory view of their duties. They are apt to evolve theories which rapidly crystalize into dogmas And these dogmas are lived up to with unflinching faithfulness, and are liable to be inflicted upon the beneficiaries -- or the victims -- of their benevolence, with something akin to tyranny. It is not difficult to see how it all comes about. At first, it is true, they feel for each suffering man and woman They make a study of his or her needs -- they give not only of time and money, but of themselves. But after a time, dismayed at the extent of the task before them, they reduce their charity to a system, degenerate into statistics and talk about "cases" instead of men and women. It is when homefinding for children reaches this point in the minds of chronically benevolent persons, that the time comes to temper common sense with sentiment.