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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.

What I mean is this. In the eagerness to adjust wrong conditions, to keep children from growing up amid vicious surroundings, to save them from privation and uncleanliness, they are taken from their natural homes and put in others. Their condition is probably benefited. The professional benefactor goes around with a virtuous feeling in his or her breast and never [?] to remember that that which God hath joined together has been put asunder.

Scientific charity is very well, education, sanitation, Christianity and good clothes are very well. But older than any of these things, reaching down into the deepest mysteries of human existence, reaching up to link man with God, binding us all in the bundle of life together with thongs stronger than life or death, is the love that links a mother to her child.

I say now, candidly, that I think there is a tendency to find too many homes for children. I think there is too much attempt made to persuade poverty stricken parents to give up their children; I think wrong doing girls too frequently resign their babies to the ready accommodation of convenient charities; I think we are too disregardful of the natural ties.

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.