The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-07-22
Refinement and Frugality.

reduced from aff1uence TO poverty,
maintain a respectable position on linn
tied incomes. The latter class partic-
ularly, including people ofrefned tastes
and delicacy, both of body and mind,
are marvel to the uninitiated There
is not reader of this article, but may
recall to mind some widow living in
opulence till the examination of her
deceased husbands estate reveals that
he was insolvent, who is then compelled
to retrench to the EXTREMIST limit; or
some family of daughters, who wake
from the first grief of orphanage to find
themselves destitute. Yet they pre-
serve the quiet elegance of manner, of
society, and responsibility of appear
ance, which enforces respect and en-
sures kind attention. The thoughtless
and the vulgar call them poor and
proud; but really they are rich in the
elements of true independence; and
what seems pride, is honest conscious
ness of their wealth. They are not
dependent, but self-sustaining. 1t is
a great mistake to suppose that such
persons live on presents from their
more fortunate relatives. No doubt
they often receive assistance; but it is
the cheerful offering of affection, ten
dered as a graceful compliment, and
accepted without any humiliating SER
Witty of gratitude. The main reliance.
both of clergymen and other educated
people of limited means, is in frugal
ity in expenditure. Ladies reduced to
poverty, remain ladies still and in
their retirement, find the means of
thrifty occupation, and of expensive
pleasure, in the accomplishment which
once but swelled their expenses. They
live on the past; and if that past has
been well occupied, its memories are
not the themes of repining, but of
mental support and employment. All
honor, we say, to the grateful, refined
and elegant poor, cast down, but not
destroyed. Those who sneer at them,
if there are any such, must be the
merest vulgarism, incapable of under
standing anything but money value, or
of enjoying any pleasure but the gross
est kind of purchased glitter, huge
feeding or drinking, or barbaric dress
ing. Those are true ladies and gentle
men who have within them treasures of
mind and spirit, which no wealth can
confer, and of which no reverse can
deprive them.
And as to the clergy, they have, or
should have the, first. constituent, of
wealth-the lesson which an apostle
was thankful he had learned, and which
any man or woman of sense may well
be grateful for. They have been taught
having food and raiment, Herewith to
be content. 1t is not the absolute cost
of subsistence which consumes large
incomes but superiuities, luxuries,
fashionable prodigality, and initiative
extravaganza. Let any family which
has free use of money or unlimited
credit, compare their necessary expen-
ses with their whole outlay, and they
will be astonished at the paucity of the
one, contrasted with the extravaganza
Of the other. 1t is pennyworth of
bread to an intolerable deal of sack.
Here then, is found the secret. The
enjoyment and luxuries of the classes
to which we have referred are free of
charge. Educated people are not
driven to expensive follies for amuse-
ment and employment of their time.
If they have large income, it saves
the trouble of devising ways and means
to crafty their tastes. They have only
to desire, and the wish is gratifed.
But deprive them of the means of graf
flying costly inclinations, and they
shape their desires to their position.
They have resources which place them
above aslavish dependence upon money.
The man or woman of good taste, for
tilted by correct principles, can find
intellectual pleasures almost without
money and without price.
So it is with students, whether for
the clerical or any other profession.
So it is with those men of happy mind,
who pursue handicraft or commerce as
business, and find their pleasure in
art or literature, or science. They are
never at loss for amusement. Edu-
cation is wealth to them. 1t places
them above the need of the costly
follies which attractuntarnished minds,
and gives them in their intellectual re-
sources never failing supply of the
means of enlightened pleasure.
And in this we take it may be placed
the great economic value of education
education for the masses. A reading
mechanic lahorer or manufactured
seldom becomes charge to the public:
never, we may say, except by sickness
or calamity. The simple and noble
tastes which he cultivates save for him
the money which others squander in
the qualification of baser appetites
Such men i've happily on incomes
which would starve people without
their mental riches. We are fully
persuaded that every enlargement oi
the opportunity of the whole people to
acquire learning, and every measure
taken to improve the popular taste, is
a preventive of pauperism, by the In
fiuence education 'exerts in enforcing
frugality. The honest pride which
leads to true independence protects
those who possess it from poverty
Chambers Journal, to which we are
indebted for the hint of these sugges
tons, Though the Journal pursues 6
train of thoughts somewhat different
from ours) does no more than Justice
to the "poor and proud" in the follow
ing remarks:
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