Georgetown weekly news., 1854-10-19
Live Within Your Means.

w uOll lIhc SllIlO HISS. w uOn u ike
ECONOMY" when it comes down to rags and
starvation. Wehave no sympathy with the
notion that the poor man should hitch HIM
self to post and stand still, while the rest
of the world moves forward. 1t is no mans
duty to deny himself every amusement, ev-
cry luxury, every'recreation, every comfort,
that he may get rich. 1t is no mans duty
to make an iceberg of himself-to shut his
ewes and ears to the sllfferings Of his fellows
and to deny himself the enjoyment that
results from generous actiOns-merely that
he may hoard wealth for his heart to quar-
rel about.
But there is an economy which is every
mans duty, and which is especially com
mendable in the man who struggles with
poverty, an economy which is consistent
with happiness and which must be practised
if the poor man would secure independence.
1t is almost every mans privilege, and it
becomes his duty, to live within his means;
not up to, but within them. Wealth does
not make the man, we admit, and should
never be taken into the account in our judg-
ment of men, But competence should al
ways be secured when it can be; and it al
most always can be, by the practice OfecOn-
omy and selfdenial to only tolerable ex-
tent. 1t should be secured, not so much for
others to look upon, or to raise US in the es-
timation of others, as to secure the con-
sciousness of independence, and the constant
satisfaction which is derived from its ac-
quirement and possession.
We would like to impress this single fact
upon the mind of every laboring man who
may peruse this short article-that it is pos
sible for him to rise above poverty; and that
the path to independence, though beset with
tolls and selfsacrifces, is much pleasanter to
the traveller than any one he can enter upon
The man who feels that he is earning some
thing more than he is spending, will walk
the streets with much lighter heart, and
enter his home with a much more cheerful
countenance, than he who spends as he goes
or falls gradually behind his necessities in
acquiring the means of meeting them. Next
to the slavery of mtemperance, there is nc
slavery on earth more CALLING than that Of
poverty and Indebtedness. The man who is
everybody's debtor is everybody's slave and
in q much worse condition than he who
serves a single master.
For the sake Of the present, then, as vel
as for the sake of the future, we should mos
earnestly urge upon every working man tt
live within his means. Let him lay by some
thing eqery day-if but penny, be it {
penny-it is better than nothing; infinitely
better than running in debt penny day
or a penny week. If he can earn one dol
lar, let him try fairly and faithfully the ex
pertinent of living on ninety cents. He viii
like it.
People will laugh" Let them laugh
"They will call me stingy." Better call yor
stingy than say you do not pay your debts
-"They will wonder why do not have bet
ter furniture, live in finer house, and attenC
concerts and the playhouse. Let then
wonder for a while; it won't hurt you. By
and by you can have fine house, and fine
furniture of your own and they will wonder
again, and come billing and cooling arount
you like so many pleased fools. Try the ex
pertinent. Live within your means.-Mai,a,
Farmer.