It is thus many times that a new life is entered upon, brightness and hope taking the place of darkness and despair.  This is not the only call the friendly visitor makes; but he or she becomes a true friend, and makes regular visits as such.  If by this method the one seeking charity is found to be an impostor, as is frequently the case, proper means of exposure are resorted to, that his or her progress in this course may be stopped.  The organizations are thus doing a most valuable work, and one that will become more and more valuable as they are enabled to become better organized, the greatest need to-day being more with the true spirit to act as visiting friends.

It is this same great principle that has given birth to our college and university settlements and our neighborhood guilds which are so rapidly increasing, and which are destined to do a great and efficient work.  Here a small colony of young women, many from our best homes, and the ablest graduates of our best colleges, and young men, many of them the ablest graduates of our best universities, take up their abode in the poorest parts of our large cities, to try by their personal influence and personal contact to raise the surrounding life to a higher plane.  It is in these ways that the poor and the unfortunate are dealt with directly.  Thus the classes mingle.  Thus that sentimentalism which may do and which has done harm to these great problems, and by which the people it is designed to help may be hindered rather than helped, is done away with.  Thus true aid and service are rendered, and the needy are really helped.

The one whose life is built upon this principle will not take up work of this kind as a “fad,” or because it is “fashionable,” but because it is right, true, Christ-like.  The truly great and noble never fear thus to mingle with those poorer and less fortunate.  It is only those who would like to be counted as great, but who are too small to be so recognized, and who, therefore, always thinking of self, put forth every effort to appear so.  There is no surer test than this.

Very truly has it been said that “the greatest thing a man can do for God is to be kind to some of His other children.”  All children of the same Father, therefore all brothers, sisters.  Man is next to God.  Man is God incarnate.  Humanity, therefore, cannot be very far from being next to godliness.  Many people there are who are greatly concerned about serving God, as they term it.  Their idea is to build great edifices with costly ornaments to Him.  A great deal of their time is spent in singing songs and hallelujahs to Him, just as if He needed or wanted these for Himself, forgetting that He is far above being benefited by anything that we can say or do, forgetting that He doesn’t want these, when for lack of them some of His children are starving for bread to eat or are dying for the bread of life.