The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1864-10-21
Virtue Needed In America.

full and cxtravagant people in the
world We waste fearfully in food,
in clothing. and in extras. We waste
ON every secular day Of the week, and
waste double amount on Sundays.
Men waste shamofully, women shock
ingly; boys and girls, too, are permit
ted to waste wofully. Wastefulncss IS
one of our worst national vices for il
economy be a virtue, then extrava
gance must be vice. The English
don't waste half as much as we do; the
French not a quarter and the Ger
mans (while in Germany don't waste
at all.
Hundreds of leading hotels here and
throughout the country prepare daily
from twenty to fifty different dishes
for dinner, and out Of these, from half
to. wo-thirds are regularly wasted
Thus not only food is wasted but also
labor mt the same time. In ordinary
families unwholesome meals Of half a
dozen dishes are gotten up, where a
plain meal would at once be more
economical and wholesome. We
gorge ourselves with great numbers Of
articles, which are neither nutricious
or delicious, but simply costly Men
buy four hats year, where one ought
to last them four years They throw
away coats and pants when they are
but little the worse for wear and in
stead of having their shirts mended
and their stockings darned, they pur-
chase new ones, and fling away the
old. Women wear very expensive ar
ticles OF dress without wearing them
out; and, we have heard, are inclined
to spend and waste money and mate
rial without stint
The present is a most excellent time
for the whole people to begin to learn
and practice the virtue Of economy. If
those men who are striking for higher
wages because OF the high price OF
living, would, instead of this waste
less i'll their homes, their clothing and
their "sundries," it would be much
better for themselves, and for their
country. If dealers would live less
e1travagantly, and waste less, they
could sell more cheaply. If rich men
would squander less on their tables
their tailors, their wine merchants
their fast horses, big houses and fancy
fxings, they would set better exam
pie, would better enjoy life, enjoy bet.
ter health, and be more able to hell
their country If the fair sex woulC
pay attention to this mattep-and W,
refer not merely to the wealthy classes
but to those in the common walks o
life-they would be thrice blessed
themselves and would confer blessing
on the bearded sex.
Among the mercantile, mechanic
agricultural and working classes c
Germany, the same garment viii no
only be worn for one season or on
year, but for half lifetime or more
and yet they viii be no less comfort
ably clad than our people, who weo
out hundred suits of expensiy
clothes during their brief existenc
In Dachau. the unterrock of the W,
men will often be handed down an
worn for three generations-which
fact that might proftably be POI
dered by the daughters of Americ
They are no less economical in articl
OF food on the European continent.
witty Frenchman asks the questiC
why pork is always SO dear in Par
and himself answers the inquiry
saying it is because they can't raj
swine in France, for the people thel
selves consume all the garbage. The
is hardly enough truth in this to poi
the joke for the fact is, that &
nice and economical habits of {
French, i'll matters Of diet, prever
the vast accumulations of refuse tn
is seen in some other countries.
Our habits of waste astonish all f
eigners. We waste enough in Il
country, of food and clothing, in o
year, to sustain the whole populati
for five. The times are hard. 7
currency is deranged. We know /
what lies in the future The VIII
country should begin to learn hal
Of economy. And it is virtue viii
if it is ever to become national, shol
at once be practiced by individuals.