The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1855-02-09
SAVE THE PENNIES.

A late writer, speaking of the moral i'm.
| portance Of money, remarks. that there is
no revolution in the history of an individual
so important, il not in ITSELF at least in its
consequences, as that which trkes place at
the moment of the first Saving"
We have been much struck by this remark,
and could wish that its force might be felt by
all our readers-especially such as are OF
humble means. The great reason why many
poor persons continue in a state Of penury
all their lives is, because they overlook the
great future, and live wholly for tie present.
However small mans earnings it is ABSOLUTELY
necessary, if he would rise in the world, or
even make sure of degree of decent comfort,
that he should lay by trifle from the money
that comes into his hands weekly. Caring
nothing for the years to come, the long after
period of life-sacrifcing everything to the
feeting limited now--it is impossible he
should ever escape from state of penuLy
and del end nee
Yet how many thousands deliberately
doom themselves to a life of perpetual strug-
Cling with poverty, simply by consuming daily
the whole of what they earn daily. If they
would but crib the merest fraction of their
winnings--if they would but store up fifty
cents, or even a quarter Of a dollar, week
they would soon he beyond the reach of
want; but this, for some miserable reason,
they neglect to do, and life of severe hard
labor and never.ending harassment is the
result.
To one who has seen much Of the miseries
Of the poor, it is hard to account for this
perverseness or short sightedness Of conduct;
but doubtless one great cause is the con
temptible character in their eyes of petty
savings. Ask those who "speud all MS they
Co." why they do not lay by triie now and
then, and they will reply-"That's no use;
what good can the saving of penny or two
doi If | could lay by three or four dollars
every week, that would amount to something"
1t is thi' ridiculous reasoning which keeps
so many stepped in poverty who might by
moderate degree Of selfdenial place thernsel-
YES in a state of comfort and even indepen.
dence. Such persons are ignorant Of the main
object of small savings, which looks not to
the saving itself chiefly but to the formation
Of habit of economy 1t is true the saving
of few cents is in itself Of little use, but
as it has been forcibly remarked, if the habit
of saving penny or two whether in money
or any other kind of property, once becomes
fixed, and the thoughts be turned in the d.
recton of advancement, the accumulation will
go on, and be ultimately successful.
As The minutes make the hours, SO it is the
pennies that make the pounds, the cents that
make the dollars: and he who scrupuously
economises the former need give himself no
concern about the latter-for the habit of
looking sharply after them will have insen.
sibly formed itself. 1t is for this reason that
the CONNIE ncement of a deposit in a savings
bank may be regarded as the crisis of many
a moral destiny, for from that moment, the
individual ceases to be the slavish dependent,
looking upward, and having no sef-respect,
and becomes the free, Independent, self-rely.
ing man, who is under no bondage but that of
kindness to his fellows, Of which he now
possesses the means