Smyrna times., 1869-05-26
MiSce ceIIUW eO H. s.
The First Thousand Dollars.

The first thousand dollars that young man,
after going out into the world to act for him
| SELF earns and SGves 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 true.
The first condition is that the young man ac-
tualy earns the thousand dollars in question. |
He does not inherit this sum. 1t does not
come to him by streak of good luck, as the re-
suit of fortunate venture in the purchase and |
sale or a hundred shares of stock. 1t is the |
fruit of personal industry. He gives his time |
and his labor for it. While he 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 pc
riOd. The direct consequence to him is
steady continuous, and solid discipline in the
habits of industry in patient, persistent fore
casting and self. denying effort. 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 expe
, rience.
) These natural effects of earning the first
thousand dollars we hold to be very large ben
efts. They are just the qualities of mind
and body which are most likely to secure busi-
ness success in after years. They constitute
the best practical education which man can
\ have as a toOrkeT in this working world. 10
j succeed, men must have the elements of success
e IN Themselves. One great reason why there are
~ so many useless, inefficient, and poverty y-strlck
en- men on earth-or, rather, boys seeming to
.r be men-cOnsistS in the simple fact that they
or did not start right. A prominent reason why
Sc the children OF the rich so frequently amount
to nothing may be found in the luxury, ease,
and Incidence which marked the commence
ment of their lives. 1t is the law of God that
OF we should be lcorkerS on earth and no one SO
well cOnsults the best development OF his be-
ing as when he conforms his practice to this
- =, law. The workers in some suitable sphere are
cd the only really strong mon in this world.
Is The other condition of the statement is thai
y. the thousand dollars should be sdUed, as an &C
I'M tual surplus beyond daily consumption. Ht
h- who spends all he earns is always poor. HI
of never has dollar Of accumulated wealth. Tht
3D. stream runs out as fast as it runs In In spend
he ing his entire earnings he will, on the one hand
cir contract the habits of prodigality with its kind
% ol red vices and, On the other, lose those OF
me- me- sound and judicious economy. This being tn
phase Of things as life opens with him, hi
prospects for the future are minus quantity
he Life with him will be failure mature year
IN will be marked by insignifcance; and old age
Elf if be lives to see it. will be loaded with power
are ty. He is an object of charity at the momen
fV- in which he ceases to be a producer, having n
is reserve upon which to draw in the day Of ad
versity. Some men seem to be doomed to thi
by necessity, and in their case poverty an
me- want are not their fault yet very large nun
Io' Der make this condition their chOice-and
the hence, with them it is self produced.
the The great rule of good sense and Chrlsta
ed. virtue is not to spend more than one earn
lust never to spend anything either foolishly or v
ciously, and always spend as much less tina
" one 8 earnings as is consistent with a reasons
e BILE degree of personal comfort and prop'
sense of duty to God and man. This is Il
ss. general thought which every one must app
Ions for himself 1t is not meanness, but ecOnOm
and 1t is not selfshness, but legitimate self low
1t is far more likely to dwell in the bosom
D." virtue than in that of depravity. 1t is, indee
form of virtue, graded to the realities ar
ss necessities of this life, and not uniting
BILE subjects for the enjoyments and gories Of Il
pep next.
NJ Now, in saving the first thousand dollar
" the young man whom we have in view prac
ces this economy He lives within his NEAR
ssS. and hence owes no debts he cannotpay; he ne
nd's er spends money in foolish or a vicious wa
wing and, after proper attention to his own wan
: and the duties which bind him to others,
D. which questions he is the sole Judge, he Ia
fdp, from month to month, or year to year,
Sc Of surplus earnings as so much accumulated ca
ege ta At length he reaches the point, and
o all worth a Thousand dollars The lessons th
from acquired will almost, certainly last him fol
L. life time. They are wrought into the very
' sues of his personal being. If fortune SIN
arge upon him, as it probably will, it will not ma
"Sn. him tool Hecan stand prosperity without
'aA'' plosion. He understands economy, for he
9 are practiced it. Its with him not an idea me
6. M iy; but fact, and fixed feature of charact
oltle The outflow of his earnings may increase W
his increase of means yet the law which g
tn the erned and the process which secured the s
MIA ing of the first thousand dollars will be lik
Co. to stand by him in all time to come So
men fail tor the want of sufficient action to CT
mand success; /; others fail for the want of 81
81 90 cient economy in respect to the products of
W tion; still others fail for the want of be
''''o Some have no discretion in prosperity,
e you others have almost no energy and force in
I. = day of adyersity. The trained worker and
trained economist belongs to no one of ii
:. classes. His personal qualities make him .
- :" "a sensible, prudent, forcible, practical ma
i, any relation aud at all times.-IpeV. DR.. s.
IN ~ Y. INDEPENDENT %-. ~.