West-Jersey pioneer., 1871-12-08
MONEY.

IL le singular laCt, DuG a IacC never
theless. that most people have profound
respect for the mere possession of money.
Everybody is ready to deny this, and
each one will protest that he does not
regard any man as better, wiser. or no.
bier bee use he happens to have more
dollars than it falls to the lot of people
generally to possess. 9Abstrictly per-
haps this is true, but the fact is that
but one person in hundred really re-
fuses to estimate men by their acres or
their bank accounts. Strangely enough
the people who show most reverence for
wealth are often those who most loudly
decry such sentiments They abuse
wealthy people as proud, and real
ly think themselves above estimating
men by the coats they wear or the din
ners they eat. But these very people
are careful to dress well when they can
not afford it, lest their own poverty shall
appear. Their shabby carpets must be
replaced BY new ones, even though the
education Of their children be cut short
for the want Of money thus spent They
entertain more company than they can
afford, and feed their guests on costly
viands, while they themselves are haunt
ed by 2aunt ghosts of pinched dinners
to come. And so with everything else
A thousand shams show an undue re-
spect for money, and thousand lies are
acted for the sake. of. concealing poverty.
1t is an old adage that "the king
need not dress WE'LL" and its inference,
that poorer people must cover up their
poverty with more costly clothes and fin
er houses than they have any use for;
tells sad tale of human folly. IF your
last winters overcoat is diugy, will it be
any less comfortable on that account?-
IF you cannot afford to buy new one,
is it not more manly to wear the old one
than to wrap yourself in lie made to
order by your tailor? Why should you
deny your family needed comforts in or
der that people for whom you do not care
q straw may think you wealthier than
you are! f9 3. bjfse,
Money has certain value 1t is worth
just what it will purchase, and no more
In other words, it is good as means but
not as an end. 1t is servicible thing,
because, to a certain extent, it will pur-
chase comfort for its possessor, and ena-
BILE him TO accomplish worthy ends. But
its possession adds nothing to his moral
or intellectual stature, and the man who
pretends to have more of it than he has
or who is ashamed of its absence, must
be wanting in manliness Of character
Money has no intrinsic value, and must
be expended to be of any account. 1t
will buy food and clothing; but in itself
it will not feed the hungry or elothe the
naked Asa powerful instrument in the
hands Of its possessor, it is we'll worth
working for; but it is not worth sacri-
ice Of health or Of honor because it
will not buy these Yet there are peo-
pie who, for the sake of gold, will sacri
fee comfort and duty, and even honor
denying themselves, for the sake Of
wealth all of good that wealth can
bring them, and more. Mrs. Barbauld
says that any man may be rich if he is
willing to pay the price; and she is prob
ably right. But in how many cases is
the price altogether too high? We
have seen men whose wealth was made
grand machine for the, accomplishment
of worthy ends; but these are not they
who have paid high prices for their
gold. They have struggled and toiled,
perhaps; they have denied themselves
and practiced economy. that thrift
might come to make them strong for
good deeds; but they have sacrificed
nothing Of character; they have paid
out no reputation as price; they have
not put their souls up to barter. aIr