voted philanthropist addressed to "his boys," but put up in
packages of a thousand copies, and to think to how many little rovers
over the land they bring sympathy and encouragement.

CHAPTER XXIII.

RAISING MONEY FOR A CHARITY.

One of the trials of a young Charity is raising money. I was determined
to put this on as sound and rational a basis as possible. It seemed to
me, that, if the facts were well known in regard to the great suffering
and poverty among the children in New York, and the principles of our
operations were well understood, we could more safely depend on this
enlightened public opinion and sympathy than on any sudden "sensation"
or gush of feeling.

Our Board fully concurred in these views, and we resolutely eschewed all
"raffles" and pathetic exhibitions of abandoned children, and
"pedestrian" or other exhibitions offered as for the benefit of
humanity, and never even enjoyed the perfectly legitimate benefit of a
"fair." Once, in a moment of enthusiasm I was led into arranging a
concert, for the benefit of a School; but that experience was enough.
Our effort at musical benevolence became a series of most inharmonious
squabbles. The leading soprano singer had a quarrel with the bass; the
instrumental split with the vocal performers; our best solo went off in
a huff, and, at last, by superhuman exertions, we reconciled the
discordant elements and got our concert fairly before the public, and
retired with a few hundred dollars.

Whatever gave the public a sensation, always had a reaction. The solid
ground for us was evidently the most rational one. I accordingly made
the most incessant exertions to enlighten and stir up the public. In
this labor the most disagreeable part was presenting our "cause" to
individuals. I seldom solicited money directly, but sought rather to lay
the wants and methods before them. Yet, even here, some received it as
if it were some new move of charlatanry, or some new device for
extracting money from full purses. Evidently, to many minds, the fact of
a man of education devoting himself to such pursuits was in itself an
enigma or an eccentricity. Fortunately, I was able early to make use of
the pulpits of the city and country, and sometimes was accustomed to
spend every night in the week and the Sunday in delivering sermons and
addresses throughout the Eastern States. As a general thing, I did not
urge a collection, tho