Boston (Mass.) -- Fiction; Women philanthropists -- Fiction
I am sure that nowhere else in Christendom can money be made to produce
such far-reaching results. Last night I lay awake for hours, planning
this work. My mind is made up. For the next few years I shall travel and
study, first, the resources and necessities of our own country, and
after that the social and economic questions in the Old World. Meanwhile
I shall begin to carry out some of my schemes at once, and not wait for
lawyers and trustees to squabble over my money after my death.
As I am planning to leave Boston soon, I determined to meet some of the
people whom I have chosen as trustees of certain funds. Accordingly I
invited five people of different religious faiths, the broadest-minded
and most public-spirited persons known to me,—Revs. P—— B——, A—— McK——,
E. E. H——, P—— M——, and Mrs. A—— F—— P——. Not one of them had an inkling
as to what it was all about, or knew who were invited beside himself.
Mr. Kilrain was there in obedience to my request. I wished him to see
that everything was done legally, and, besides, to draw up all the
necessary papers.
I fairly shivered with delight and excitement as they came in one by one
and I introduced myself to them, feeling very much like a young queen
who has just ascended a throne and summons her generals and wise
counselors to plan a campaign.
I had a dainty lunch served in a cosy little parlor, and as soon as the
servants were gone I began, rather tremulously, it must be confessed, to
make my little speech. They all knew, of course, that they were invited
to give me counsel on some philanthropic matter, but further than that
they were in the dark. As nearly as I can remember this is what I said:—
“You are all aware that I have asked the favor of your company to-day in
order to discuss a serious matter involving the expenditure of a large
sum of money. I wish to avail myself of the united wisdom of those
present to enable me to use for good and not for evil the enormous
wealth which has so suddenly dropped from the skies, as it were, into my
hands.
“I count myself as simply a steward, and know well that before my own
conscience, if before no other tribunal, I shall be called to account
for my stewardship.
“It is stated that one of the seven greatest sources of pauperism in
London is foolish almsgiving. I am perfectly aware that I may ‘give all
my goods to feed the poor,’ and do more harm by it than if I threw my
offerings into the Charles River.
“I am convinced that if I would help any man I must do it by giving him
the means to help himself, and thus to retain or gain his self-respect.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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