THE POOR HELPING THE POOREST.
A Charming Picture of Self-Sacrifice.
PROFESSOR F. T. WATERS.
The extreme poverty among many of the colored people of Wilmington, N. C., led me to think that there would be many families that would have no Christmas gifts unless given by those who could spare, even from their scant living, a portion to be given to those wholly destitute. Accordingly I invited the children in all the rooms in Gregory Institute to bring such offerings as they were willing to make, to be afterward distributed to those who otherwise would have no Christmas and were without the necessities of life even. The idea seemed to meet with general approval among teachers and pupils. Friday, the last day before the Christmas vacation, was appointed to bring in the gifts, and the amount contributed wholly exceeded our most extravagant hopes. Shortly after 8 o'clock the school children began to arrive laden with gifts, consisting of almost every imaginable article that could be used. Some brought a sweet potato—always the largest they could find—others a pound of sugar, rice, flour, bacon, pork, beans, peas, corn meal, cabbages, turnips, tea, coffee, matches, apples, oranges, grits, and if there are any other things to be found among eatables I think I can produce them from the packages now deposited in the sewing room.
Besides this quite a quantity of wood was brought, and a good supply—several bundles, at least—of fat pine for lighters, and considerable clothing. One special gift I must mention. It was from a little girl in the primary class. The girl is about eleven or twelve years old, and very poor. She worked all last summer and saved her money to pay her tuition in our school this year, and, as I have learned, had secured nearly enough to pay her tuition during the year. But, alas, poor little Mary. For some reason, probably to get the food necessary to live, her mother was obliged to take her hard earned and slowly accumulated money, and before school began she found that what she had so long hoped and planned for she could not realize. However, she did not give up her cherished plan of coming to school, but worked away, got her some clothes, and about the first of November presented herself as wishing to come to school. She brought all the money she had left, ten cents, and said if I would only let her come she was sure she could pay the rest before long. I kept track of her and found from her teacher that the poor girl could not obtain anything further for her tuition, but that she was a very promising girl, so I have let her come, and I have prayed that some one may be led to contribute $8 for her tuition. But what surprised me most was the Christmas offering this child made. Just before school called, she came tugging two large sticks of wood, the combined weight being twenty pounds. This she had got cut into two pieces and had carried it more than a mile in order that some one poorer than she might be blessed at Christmas time. This little incident made me feel that I had never known sacrifice before—for here was one who often goes hungry to bed, without any of the comforts of life, yet to make others happy gave literally "all she had." Truly were the blessed Lord here His words regarding the poor widow must have been repeated. I feel that the wood she brought is almost too sacred to be put to common use. I would that a piece of it were in every Christian home to teach the lesson of true sacrifice.
On Christmas morning a dozen homes will be made happy by these humble gifts. One old lady in our visits we found so destitute that she had tasted nothing from Saturday night till Tuesday, when one of the girls of Gregory school took her in her breakfast. The old lady telling about it said she knew the Lord would not let her starve. The teachers have voluntarily taxed themselves ten cents a month, which provides for her food at least. I need not multiply these cases. Many sacrifices in kind, if not in degree, could be mentioned equal to that of little Mary, and many cases of need as extreme as that of "Aunt Maggie." The scanty purses of the A. M. A. teachers, many of whom, as in my own case, are obliged to economize in every way to keep our own families from actual want, are inadequate to meet the demand, and why should we multiply their cases on our minds when we are powerless to help?