The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1850-03-28
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ECONoMY.
III MRS. 10. swIssHELM.

Economy is wealth, F." says somebody; but
ii is more than this; it is independence, lux
ury, freedom of body and mind. The alb
sence of ii is poverty, degradation, slavery
From our own observation we are inclined
to think one half the misery in this country
is owing to want of economy. There are
very few persons or families who, at some
time, have not been in receipt of a sufficient
income to make some provision for the fu-
ture, if they but understood the art of econ
omy. We call it an art, for it is something
TO be acquired. Almost every one will ac-
knowledge it virtue, and most persons fam
cy that they thems elYes possess it, when NOT
one in two really understands or praclises it.
To ilustrate-we remember friend we hsd
once, who prided herself no little on Der "a.
wing propensities, showing US ,bsau',fulv
quilted skirt, that she had made, OFT Of a
dress. "You see," soc said. t'it ,cas begin.
ming to cut along the seari of ,be sleeve and
on the edge of the pl'::.ts IN the side, so |
Just took the skirt a,.rd Quilted it, and ii is as
s00a as new never let. any thing go to
o.oo,s 'ie'~ed her work with the ut
, Au'' '0' CT c,mplaisance, and was shocked
MneD we, pronounced it peice of down
II" 4" exravagance. But she yieldod after
We had counted up the items. First the silk
for the dress had cost one dollar and fifty
cents per yard. and fourteen yards was the
patter-Twen,y one dollars; five more, for
making and trimmings, twenly'six. A cord
had been inserted in the seam ofsleeye, that
had worn its cover off and cut the plaits at
the side, before the dress was one third
worn, then instead of changing the plaits and
mending the sleeve, fhe twenty.six dollars
were converted into a skirt, when seven
yards of silk eighty seven cents or dollar
per yard would have prettier and more Gu
rable one, for the dress, being, heavy, fig
pred material, did not show the quilting SO
well, and would no, wear so long as plain
article but the owner thought she had been
,ery economical. This'is pretty fair spe-
cimen of about one half the household econ.
omy. in the world. Many housckeepers no
sooner get garment made up and natural
lied to its proper use than it is forthwith mp
ped up and made into something else, the
good constantly congratulating herself as if
she had found the material of the new insted
of lost the making and trimmings of the old.
Both men and women economist, by buying
cheap articles, and articles they do not need'
because they are cheap. Men economist
by making large debts TO pay small ones,
and by measuring their neighbours outlay,
| and bringing their own inside of that, instead
ofmeasuring their own means, and actual
necessities and conforming to them. But n
large. perhaps the largest number, despisa
economy as meanness, and pride themselves
on their rprodigal expenditure. Very few of
this class escape poyetty and none contempt
If there is no body of more sense to des-
pise them, they always despise one another,
and in trurth they are generally despicable.
No man can be truly or permanently great,
without understanding and practicing econo,
iny--without being able TO regulate his ex
Renses inside his income. This is what
stands in Daniel Webstefss way 10 the first
place in the rank of his compeers- His i'm.
providence makes large sums of money in
dispensable, Togaiu these he has done and
always will do much he would not otherwise
do.
We would not implicitly trust any man
who could not save part Of his income be