THE THANKLESS OFFICE.
"AN object of real charity," said Andrew Lyon to his wife, as a poor woman withdrew from the room in which they were seated.
"If ever there was a worthy object, she is one," returned Mrs. Lyon.
"A widow, with health so feeble that even ordinary exertion is too much for her; yet obliged to support, with the labor of her own hands, not only herself, but three young children. I do not wonder that she is behind with her rent."
"Nor I," said Mr. Lyon in a voice of sympathy. "How much did she say was due to her landlord?"
"Ten dollars."
"She will not be able to pay it."
"I fear not. How can she? I give her all my extra sewing, and have obtained work for her from several ladies; but, with her best efforts she can barely obtain food and decent clothing for herself and babes."
"Does it not seem hard," remarked Mr. Lyon, "that one like Mrs.
Arnold, who is so earnest in her efforts to take care of herself and family, should not receive a helping hand from some one of the many who could help her without feeling the effort? If I didn"t find it so hard to make both ends meet, I would pay off her arrears of rent for her, and feel happy in so doing."
"Ah!" exclaimed the kind-hearted wife, "how much I wish that we were able to do this. But we are not."
"I"ll tell you what we can do," said Mr. Lyon, in a cheerful voice--"or, rather what I can do. It will be a very light matter for, say ten persons, to give a dollar a-piece, in order to relieve Mrs. Arnold from her present trouble. There are plenty who would cheerfully contribute for this good purpose; all that is wanted is some one to take upon himself the business of making the collections. That task shall be mine."
"How glad, James, to hear you say so," smilingly replied Mrs. Lyon.
"Oh! what a relief it will be to poor Mrs. Arnold. It will make her heart as light as a feather. That rent has troubled her sadly. Old Links, her landlord, has been worrying her about it a good deal, and, only a week ago, threatened to put her things in the street if she didn"t pay up."
"I should have thought of this before," remarked Andrew Lyon. "There are hundreds of people who are willing enough to give if they were only certain in regard to the object. Here is one worthy enough in every way. Be it my business to present her claims to benevolent consideration. Let me see. To whom shall I go? There are Jones, and Green, and Tompkins. I can get a dollar from each of them. That will be three dollars--and one from myself, will make four. Who else is there? Oh! Malcolm! I"m sure of a dollar from him; and, also, from Smith, Todd, and Perry."
Confident in the success of his benevolent scheme, Mr. Lyon started forth, early on the very next day, for the purpose of obtaining, by subscription, the poor widow"s rent. The first person he called on was Malcolm.
"Ah, friend Lyon," said Malcolm, smiling blandly. "Good morning!
What can I do for you to-day?"
"Nothing for me, but something for a poor widow, who is behind with her rent," replied Andrew Lyon. "I want just one dollar from you, and as much more from some eight or nine as benevolent as yourself."
At the words "poor widow," the countenance of Malcolm fell, and when his visiter ceased, he replied in a changed and husky voice, clearing his throat two or three times as he spoke,
"Are you sure she is deserving, Mr. Lyon?" The man"s manner had become exceedingly grave.
"None more so," was the prompt answer. "She is in poor health, and has three children to support with the product of her needle. If any one needs a.s.sistance it is Mrs. Arnold."
"Oh! ah! The widow of Jacob Arnold."
"The same," replied Andrew Lyon.
Malcolm"s face did not brighten with a feeling of heart-warm benevolence. But, he turned slowly away, and opening his money-drawer, _very slowly_, toyed with his fingers amid its contents. At length he took therefrom a dollar bill, and said, as he presented it to Lyon,--sighing involuntarily as he did so--
"I suppose I must do my part. But, we are called upon so often."
The ardor of Andrew Lyon"s benevolent feelings suddenly cooled at this unexpected reception. He had entered upon his work under the glow of a pure enthusiasm; antic.i.p.ating a hearty response the moment his errand was made known.
"I thank you in the widow"s name," said he, as he took the dollar.
When he turned from Mr. Malcolm"s store, it was with a pressure on his feelings, as if he had asked the coldly-given favor for himself.
It was not without an effort that Lyon compelled himself to call upon Mr. Green, considered the "next best man" on his list. But he entered his place of business with far less confidence than he had felt when calling upon Malcolm. His story told, Green without a word or smile, drew two half dollars from his pocket, and presented them.
"Thank you," said Lyon.
"Welcome," returned Green.
Oppressed with a feeling of embarra.s.sment, Lyon stood for a few moments. Then bowing, he said--
"Good morning."
"Good morning," was coldly and formally responded.
And thus the alms-seeker and alms-giver parted.
"Better be at his shop, attending to his work," muttered Green to himself, as his visitor retired. "Men ain"t very apt to get along too well in the world who spend their time in begging for every object of charity that happens to turn up. And there are plenty of such, dear knows. He"s got a dollar out of me; may it do him, or the poor widow he talked so glibly about, much good."
Cold water had been poured upon the feelings of Andrew Lyon. He had raised two dollars for the poor widow, but, at what a sacrifice for one so sensitive as himself. Instead of keeping on in his work of benevolence, he went to his shop, and entered upon the day"s employment. How disappointed he felt;--and this disappointment was mingled with a certain sense of humiliation, as if he had been asking alms for himself.
"Catch me at this work again!" he said, half aloud, as his thoughts dwelt upon what had so recently occurred. "But this is not right,"
he added, quickly. "It is a weakness in me to feel so. Poor Mrs.
Arnold must be relieved; and it is my duty to see that she gets relief. I had no thought of a reception like this. People can talk of benevolence; but putting the hand in the pocket is another affair altogether. I never dreamed that such men as Malcolm and Green could be insensible to an appeal like the one I made."
"I"ve got two dollars towards paying Mrs. Arnold"s rent," he said to himself, in a more cheerful tone, sometime afterwards; "and it will go hard if I don"t raise the whole amount for her. All are not like Green and Malcolm. Jones is a kind-hearted man, and will instantly respond to the call of humanity. I"ll go and see him."
So, off Andrew Lyon started to see this individual.
"I"ve come begging, Mr. Jones," said he, on meeting him. And he spoke in a frank, pleasant manner.
"Then you"ve come to the wrong shop; that"s all I have to say," was the blunt answer.
"Don"t say that, Mr. Jones. Hear my story, first."
"I do say it, and I"m in earnest," returned Jones. "I feel as poor as Job"s turkey, to-day."
"I only want a dollar to help a poor widow pay her rent," said Lyon.
"Oh, hang all the poor widows! If that"s your game, you"ll get nothing here. I"ve got my hands full to pay my own rent. A nice time I"d have in handing out a dollar to every poor widow in town to help pay her rent! No, no, my friend, you can"t get anything here."
"Just as you feel about it," said Andrew Lyon. "There"s no compulsion in the matter."
"No, I presume not," was rather coldly replied.
Lyon returned to his shop, still more disheartened than before. He had undertaken a thankless office.