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THE RELATIVE DUTIES OF MANKIND.

[Part III.

widows of men, who might have left their wives independent ofalms, had they but themselves abstained from the use of spirituousliquors. But their husbands have left them broken in constitution,borne down by discouragement, utterly destitute, and surroundedby helpless and hungry children. The earnings of this class ofwomen, with their best industry, are very precarious as well assmall. At certain seasons, even with extreme economy, theycould not be comfortable without alms. They are unequivocallyproper subjects of alms.

But the number, both of men and women, is still greater,who are able-bodied, and yet apply for alms. They are notinclined to do what they can for themselves. Many of them earnenough for self-support, but expend those earnings in the hauntsof waste and vice. They know little of economy, and care forit and practise it still less. They calculate, when employmentshall fail them, to live upon the alms they expect to receive. Itis, indeed, a delicate, and often a very painful office, to decideand act upon applications for aid, where want and even necessity,may at the time be pressing, but where it is not only perceived,that this necessity might have been avoided by a proper self-denial and economy on the part of the applicants, but that,through the continued neglect of this economy, there will be aperpetual recurrence of the very necessity which pleads for im-mediate relief. In respect to these cases, I can only say, that,if relief must be given, and it sometimes must be, it should neverhe of a Icind, or to a degree , which will malce this dependencepreferable to a life of labor.

In justice to the poor it may be said, that many of them wouldbe economical, if they knew how to be so. But they have beenreared in ignorance, and indolence, and thriftlessness. It mayeven be, that, amidst waste and want, they have been rearedto every attainable indulgence of appetite, — and, as far as femalesare concerned, to every attainable gratification of the love offinery and display. If these evils cannot be remedied in parents,we ought to do what we may, for their prevention in children.And I repeat, — for too great importance cannot be attached tothe principle involved in the caution, — let us take care, that wedo not enable the willingly dependent to live more comfortably