Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1869-04-22
From the "Packard's Monthly"
PLEA FOR PENDTHRIFTS
BY JuNlUs HENRI BROWNE.

From the earliest time, especislly
since Benjamin Franklin published
his philosophy of thrift, pecuniary
prodigality has been reckoned a
grievous sin, while the prodigal has
been denounced as a most perhi
cious member of society. The par
able of the Prodigal Son is perpetu-
ally repeated in the pulpit. He is
held up as a warning to all youths
who aspire to night keys, and waste
their substance in small beer. His
moral character was certainly OBJ
jectionable but there were no doubt,
in his time, many worse fellows
t IAN he, who have entirely escape
condemnation.
The popular view Of spendthrifts,
like most popular views, is one
,ided and untrustworthy. If much
cannot be said in their favor, great
deal may be in mitigation of their
offences. They are their own enc
aies; but, in proportion to their
hostility to themselves, they are
friendly to the community of which
they make part. iIley are Il kind
of social martyrs. They go through
life with open hearts and open
purses; the world takes advantage
of their generosity; abuses them
for benefits conferred, and hates
them for benefits received.
The spendthrift is always man
of sterling virtues: He has the
three cardinal ones-faith, hope,
and charity-in the largest degree.
The besetting sin of humanity, sell
fishness, is not his. He wants to
benefit everybody; to remove pow
erty, to help suffering; to give com
fort wherever it is not. His soul is
large; his mind is broad, his heart
is deep. He lives in to-day reckless
of tomorrow; trusting the future
and fate as smaller natures would
not, and coarser natures dare not.
Not particle of common material
ism in him. He is high idealist.
He believes in all impro liabilities !;
and little logic viii convert him to
faith in the impossible. He wishes
overturn his capacities. His ex-
pectations often fail Of realization.
When the sun shines he thinks it
will never be cloudy and when the
summer warns, winter is too remote
to be taken into account.
The spendthrift is the prince of
good fellows; would be happy him
self and make others so, if envious
circumstances did not prevent. The
world, not he, is at fault. He has
the disposition but not the means to
redeem all his promises. His mis-
fortune comes of want of sympathy
in others. The liberal drafts he
makes upon the future. the future,
like a miserly banker, protests, and
returns dishonored: Give him For
tunatus' purse and he would be the
benefactor of his race; would scat
ter blessings wherever poverty and
want are cures, and they are much
more than we wont.
Romanic, picturesque, brilliant is
the ideal spendthrift. ALI is warm
and light about him. Ease attends
his steps, and rest slumbers grace
fully at his side. Like the cuckoo
Of the poet, ''there is no sorrow in
his song, no winter in his year -
that is in his day OF prosperity.
When the dark days come he is
driven from the halls he has made
beautiful, and insulted by the menial
who once fattered and fawned at his
feet. He goes cold and hungry by
the houses of those he has helped to
make rich, and they do not Offer
him even the crums that fall from
their table. His state is pitiable
poor fellow; who can call him
enemy against whom the hands OF
the world are lifted, only because in
striving to be generous he became
poor? .,a
The spendthrift, I repeat, Injuries
himself, not others. For society
sake, for the benefit of the commu
n ty, it would be better were there
more Of his kind. Money, as this
world goes, represents abundance
ease, rest; and they are the chic
elements Of what we call happiness
The money he has he parts with te
all, and how much good it does nc
one can tell. Many HURDLE home:
are brighter for his passing; many
heavy hearts are lighter for his Civ
ing. Though he does not know it
kind memories must follow him iron
those he has carelessly made glad
1t would be consolation, in for
tunes desertion, If he were con
scious of the gratitude felt towar'
him by those whose faces he ha
forgotten, whose names he canno
recall.
1t is common to say, if all tn
| goods of the earth were distributes
equally tomorrow, that ten year
hence there would be nearly tn
same disproportion as now. Blu
that is the rich mans excuse to sci
fishness for his lack of charity. II
declares iberality would be useless
because he is resolved not to b
liberal, just as most of us deer.
qualities we know we do not pos
sess.
While there are many person
temperamentally and hopelessly i'm
provident, there are more who hav
the money keeping without tn
money getting power. Thousand
of excellent people are wretche
throughout life because Of their poy
erty. They can't get a start, as
is styled. The first thousand do
lars are harder to obtain, say ou
rich men. than. the next fifty thor