The Morning Star And Catholic Messenger

BEHIND THE SCENES.

The mournful Southern tragedy is over. The sympathetic audiences have passed away. The garish lights are all extinguished and the stage is bare of everything except its sorrowful associations and remembrances.

But behind the scenes there is hidden a world of suffering unknown to the public eye. Behind the scenes there is heard a cry of anguish which does not reach the public ear. Behind the scenes still goes on many a drama of wretchedness which makes no impression upon the public heart.

How many fathers are without occupation, how many widows know not where to look for bread, how many orphans are drifting, like wrecks, upon the cold current of this world's charity! Something must be done to alleviate this distress; some active power must exist to come to the aid of the poor.

The Howards have ceased their benevolent labors and are preparing to "fold their tents like the Arabs, and as silently steal away." The Peabody Subsistence Society has closed its doors and distributes no more food to the poor. Are there no more sick ones among us? Are there no more hungry mouths to feed, no more naked bodies to clothe, no more suffering to relieve, no more anguish to solace?

The answer comes from the lips of Divine Wisdom: "The poor ye have always with you;" but there are times when their number is greater than at others, and the present is certainly one of these. There are houses in our midst behind whose doors are hungry lips and pallid faces and anxious hearts. And these are not confined to the humbler classes; we find straightened circumstances, and even positive destitution in the homes of our better classes. A great deal of this distress is truly behind the scenes; for even the next door neighbor knows nothing of it. This family may have a carpet on the floor and yet have no flour in the pantry! That one may have nice clothes—for good materials last so long—and yet not have shoes to wear, for shoes wear out so soon!

We know of families that have no fuel, and who when a cold day comes can purchase only a bucket of coal at a time. We know of families where the children are without clothes and the beds without blankets; and we are confident almost every person who reads these lines, is cognizant of similar cases and can relate similar experiences.

The epidemic has passed away, but it has left in the homes of our people many fearful traces of its presence, and therefore a permanent society for the visiting and succoring of the poor and needy, is what New Orleans requires, and, thank God! this is what she possesses in the admirable organization known as the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. This institution does the work of the Howards all the year round, and without distinction of race, creed or color, distributes relief to all who are in need.

Let every one then who feels for the poor, aid the Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul either by direct contributions, or by appeals to those who have the means to give abundantly.

We need not go in search of misery; the members of each parish Conference have done that already and know just where the loaf of bread and the suit of clothes are most needed. We need not enquire where the widow and orphan are to be found; the gentlemen of this society have their names already inscribed and are in the habit of visiting them day after day. There is nothing left for us to do but to give. We can stay in our happy homes without any reproaches of conscience, provided we have sent to this organization an alms which will be sure to gladden other homes.

We can sit by our own warm firesides without a single feeling of selfishness, provided we have given to St. Vincent's Conferences the means to brighten other hearthstones.

We ourselves need not go behind the scenes at all, if the sights would there depress us; for if we are ever so little generous in our help to these noble Vincentians, we may rest assured that there will be light, and warmth, and comfort, and food, and raiment, and help of every kind, furnished to those who need them most and are best entitled to our charity.