Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-11-07
A Stern Necessity
From the Chicago journal }

Af4om tue OnlCas0 JouIhhj
This is time for frugaltv in liv.
ing and economy in expenditure
Those who are wise enough to appre.
ciate the widespread effects of the re-
cent Great Fire, not only upon the
private affairs of individuals, but up
on the financial and commercial inter
ests of The country at large, need not
be told that we will soon enter upon
a winter of uncertainties.
Many men Of wealth have been
either impoverished or seriously re-
duced In means, and many poor men
and men of small properties have lost
about every thing they possessed in
the world. These sudden changes
in the condition and circumstances OF
a large number Of people, taken in
connection with the more or less per-
ceptible effect our disaster has occa-
stoned or may occasion to the general
financial affairs Of the country, must
necessarily cause thoughtful men to
pause and consider the possibilities,
if not probabilities, of the future.
We have, as people, been living
and moving too fast" We have
spent our money extravagantly,
have denied ourselves no coveted lux
ury-have, in short, many of us, been
making money easily and rapidly,
spent il lavishIy, and consequently
fallen into habits of luxurious living
and financial recklessness that in the
olden time would have been deemed
downright wickedness. Now we
have been brought round with sud-
den turH and though the lesson has
been an exceedingly severe one, yet
if it will, in its compulsory conse-
quenccs, bring us TO our sober senses,
and cause US TO live more nationally
and less wildly and ostentatiously-
il il will have the effect to teach us
the necessity as we'll as the wisdom
Of prudence and humility, it will have
served at least one very salutary pur-
pose.
AT all events, none among us are
now SO wealthy that they can with
safety disregard the necessity Of econ
omizing their resources and aband-
oning those snowy and extravagant
ways of living and appearing, which
have Of late years brouoht the socie-
ty of our American cities-Chicago
esecially-to the low level of that of
the frivolous and reakless Parisians
We must-all Of us-to use vulgar
but expressive slang phrase, "haul IN
our horns" and live like men and
women Of sense, instead of aiming at
mere sensation and the qualification
of love ofvain show and luxurious
display. We have had too much OF
this-a great deal too much and the
effect has been sadly growing de-
moralization of society and Of the
community as whole.
We know not what is before US
We all have painfully realizing
sense Of the uncertainty of human at
fairs. 1t is well not to take q melan-
coly view ofthe present or the future.
1t is always better to look upon the
bright side of the picture, and enjoy
looking at it, than to sit and gaze
sadly upon the dark side, and be on
ly miserable. But it is nevertheless
the part of prudence 10 think sober
w when we are in the midst of sober
circumstances and hence it becomes
us al at this time, in view of what
has happened, in view of what is be-
fore us that must be accomplished to
insure the dommon welfare, and in
view Of all those possibilities, and
perhaps probabilities, of the future
to which reference has already been
made, to study and practice economy
to live prudently within our means
and to say to all fashions vanities,
Injuries and follies, Get thee behind
me, Satan"