Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1869-07-02
MiaGGllaNGon6.
THE FIRST THOUSAND DOLLARS.
BY REV sA,uEL 7. SPEAR. D. D.


TIE first thousand dollars that young
man, after going out into the world to act
for himself, earns and saves will generally
settle the question of business life with
him. There may be exceptions to this
statement; yet, for rule, We think that it
will hold tue
The first condition is that the young man
actually earns the thousand dollers in ques-
ton He does not inherit this sum. It
does not come to him by streak of good
luck, as the result of fortunate venture in
the purchase and sale of hundred shares
of stock. 1t is the fruit of personal indus
try. Hegives his time and his labor for it
While be is thus earning and saving it, he
must earn two or three, or perhaps four
times as much to pay his current expenses
He Is consequently held sternly to the task
of industry for very considerable period
The direct consequence to him is a steady,
continuous and solid discipline in the habits
of industry, in patient, persistent forecast
ing and selEdenying effort, breaking up all
the tendencies to Incidence and frivolty,
and making him an earnest and watchfu
economist of time He not only learns how
to work, but he also acquires the love Of
work; and, moreover, he learns the value
of the sum which he has thus saved ou. Of
his earnings He has toiled for it, he has
observed its slow increase from time to
time; and in his estimate it represents so
many months or years of practical labor
His ideas Of life are shaped by his own ex-
perienee.
These natural effects of earning the first
thousand dollars we held to be very large
benefits. They are just the qualities of
mind and body which are most likely to
secure business success in after years
They constitute the best practical education
which a man can have as a worker in thi
working world They are gained in sea
son for lies purposes; at the opening
period, just when they are wanted, when
foolish notions are most likely to mislead
an inexperienced brain, and when, too
there is a full opportunity for their expan-
sion and development in later years
Men have but one life to live; and hence
they start from opening manhood but once.
And the manner in which they start, the
principles with which they start, the pur-
poses they have in view, and the habits
they form, win ordinarily determine the en-
tire sequel Of their career on earth. To
succeed, men must have the elements of
success IN themselves One great reason
why there are so many useless, inefficient
and poverty stricken men on earth-or,
rather, boys seeming to be men--consists
in the simple fact that they did not start
right A prominent reason why the chill
dren of the rich so frequently amount to
nothing may be found in the luxury, case
and Incidence which marked the commence
ment Of their lives 1t is the law of God
that we should be workers on earth; and
no one so well consults the best develor /
meut Of his being as when he conforms his
practice to this law The workers in soms
suitable sphere are the only really strong
men in this world.
The ottcr condition of the statement is
that the thousand dollars should be saved,
as an actual surplus beyond daily consump-
ton He who spends all he earns is always
poor He never has dollar of aecumula-
ted wealth The stream runs out as fast as
it runs in. In spending his entire earnings
he will, on the one hand, contract the
habits of prodigality, with its kindred vices,
and, on the other, lose those Of sound and
judicious economy. This being the phase
of things as life opens with him, his pros
poets for the future are minus quantity
Life with him will be a failure; mature
years will be marked by insignifcance; and
old age, if he lives to see it, will be loaded
with poverty. He is an object of charity
at the moment in which he ceases to be
producer. having no reserve upon which to
draw in the day of adversely. Some men
seem to be doomed to this by necessity, and
in their case poverty and want are not their
fault; yet very large number make this
condition their choice-and; hence, With
them it is selfproduced.
The great rule of good sense aud Chris
tain virtue is not to spend more than one
earns, never to spend anything either fool
ishly or vieiously and always spend as
much less than one earnings as is consist
ent with reasonable degree of personal
comfort and proper sense of duty to God
and man. This is the general thought
which every one must apply for himself
It is not meanncss, but economy. til not