wildernesses and deserts
of foreign climes, or of the terrible fate which wastes a ship's crew
on the inhospitable sea, when in their sorest need no vessel or no
coast will appear on the immeasurable expanse; we are struck with
horror when monsters of the deep tear to pieces the unfortunate
mariner--and yet do we not live in great cities, as upon the peak of a
promontory, where immediately at our feet all this woe, the same
horrible spectacle displays itself, only more slowly, and therefore the
more cruelly? But from the midst of our concerts and banquets, and from
the safe hold of our opulence, we look down into this abyss, where the
shapes of misery are tortured and wasted in a thousand fearful groups,
as in Dante's imagery, and do not venture even to raise their eyes to
us, because they know what a cold look they meet, when their cry rouses
us at times out of the torpor of our cold apathy."

"These," said the elder Eisenschlicht, "are youthful exaggerations. I
still maintain, the really good citizen, the genuine patriot, ought not
to suffer himself to be urged by a momentary emotion to support
beggary. Let him bestow on those charitable institutions as much as he
can conveniently spare; but let him not waste his slight means which
ought in this respect also to be subservient to the higher views of the
state. For in the opposite case, what is it he does? He promotes by his
weakness, nay, I should be inclined to call it a voluptuous itching of
the heart, imposture, laziness and impudence, and withdraws his little
contribution from real poverty, which, after all, he cannot always meet
with, or discern. Should we however be willing to acknowledge that
overcharged picture of wretchedness to be correct, what good, even in
this case, can a single individual effect? Is it in his power to
improve the condition of the wretch who is driven to despair? What does
it avail to give relief for a single day or hour? The unfortunate being
will only feel his misery the more deeply, if he cannot change his
state into a happy one; he will grow still more dissatisfied, still
more wretched, and I injure instead of benefiting him."

"Oh! do not say so," exclaimed Edward, "if you would not have me think
harshly of you, for it sounds to me like blasphemy. What the poor man
gains in such a moment of sunshine? Oh! sir, he who is accustomed to be
thrust out of the society of men; he, for whom there is no holiday, no
market-place, no society, a