Subscription in favor of the Lyon workers.

— The Spiritist Society of Paris could not forget its brothers of Lyon in their affliction. Since November it hastened to subscribe 260 francs to a charity lottery organized by several groups of this city. But Spiritism is not exclusive; for it all men are brothers and owe one another mutual support, without distinction of belief. Wishing, then, to give its mite to the common work, it opened at the seat of the Society – 59, Rue and Passage Sainte-Anne – a subscription whose proceeds will be deposited in the fund of the general subscription of the newspaper Siècle.

A letter from Lyon, addressed to Mr. Allan Kardec, informs us that an anonymous Spiritist has just sent, directly and for this purpose, a sum of 500 francs. May this generous benefactor, whose incognito we respect, receive here the thanks of all the members of the Society.

— A Spirit who makes himself known under the characteristic and gracious name of Carita, and whose mission seems to be to encourage beneficence in relief of misfortune, was pleased to dictate on the subject the epistle that follows and that was sent to us from Lyon. Like us, the readers will certainly place it among the most charming productions from beyond the grave. May it awaken the sympathy of all Spiritists for their suffering brothers! All of Carita's communications are marked by the same seal of goodness and simplicity. Evoked in the Society of Paris, she said she had been Saint Irene, empress. n

— TO THE PARISIAN SPIRITISTS WHO SENT 500 FRANCS FOR THE POOR OF LYON, THANK YOU!

“Thanks to you, whose generous heart knew how to understand our appeal, and who came to the aid of your unfortunate brothers. Thanks! Your offering will heal many wounds, soothe many sorrows. Thanks, for you knew how to divine that with this fruit of gold which you sent hunger will be momentarily appeased and the hearths, extinguished for a long time, will be warmed again.

“Thanks, above all for the delicate attention with which you knew how to conceal your good deed under the mantle of anonymity. But if you hid the generous thought of being useful to your fellow men, as the violet hides under the foliage, there is a judge, a lord for whom your hearts have no secrets and who knows whence this beneficent dew sprang that came to refresh more than one burning brow, driving away the misery so dreaded by the poor mothers of families. God, who sees all, knows the secret of the anonymous one and will take it upon himself to reward those who had the inspiration to succor the poor victims of circumstances independent of their will. God, my friends, loves this incense of your hearts which, knowing how to share the sorrows of others, also knows how charity is practiced. He appreciates above all that devotion and that abnegation which shrinks from a pompous thanks, preferring to shelter its modesty under simple initials. But he has linked, to all the blessings that your relief will bring forth, the name of the benefactor, for, as you well know, those transports of joy experienced by the succored hearts rise up to God; and as he sees that these effluvia, sprung from gratitude, are the result of your benefactions, he notes, in the great book of the generous spirit who gave rise to them, the reward that is due to him. “If you were given to hear those sweet emotions, those timid demonstrations of sympathy that escape the unfortunate at the sight of the most insignificant coin, celestial manna fallen into their poor garret; if you were given to witness the childish cries of the little one who understands that bread is assured for a few days, you would be very happy and would say: “Charity is sweet and worth being practiced.” It is that, as you can see, little is necessary to transform tears into joy, above all in the home of a worker who is not accustomed to seeing happiness visit him so often. If that poor ant who gathers, crumb by crumb, the daily bread should find on her way a whole loaf, just at the moment when she was losing hope of giving the family the daily food, then that unexpected fortune will seem to her so incomprehensible that, not finding expressions to demonstrate her happiness, she will let escape a few isolated words, followed by tears of tenderness. Succor, then, the poor, my friends, those workers who have as their last hope only death in some asylum or beggary in a street corner. Succor them as much as you can, so that, when God reunites you, following the long avenue that leads to the immense portal, on whose frontispiece are engraved the words Love and Charity, God may, reuniting the benefactors and the benefited, say to all of you: You knew how to give; you were happy to receive. Come, enter! May the charity that guided you introduce you into this radiant world that I reserve for those who have as their motto “Love one another.”

Carita.

Observation. – Whom will they make believe that the demon dictated such words? In any case, if it is the demon who impels to charity, we shall never run any risk in practicing it.

[1] Translator's note: This is the same spiritual entity that dictated the messages inserted by Kardec in items 13 and 14, chapter XIII, of The Gospel According to Spiritism, on the subject of charity.