The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-03-31
Are We q Thrifty Psoplef

A10 W0 10OpAof
Any one who has lived abroad aud has
seen how people in France and Germany
not to speak of other countries-mapage on
incomes which to an American appear little
short Of beggary, cannot but be struck with
the apparent inability Of our middie-ciasa
people to make little 60 great way. !
will venture to say that ninety nine out OF
every hundred American families on limit
cd incomes throw away, fritter away, and
misspend in buying things that they could
as well do without, and in paying exorbitant
prices for those things and for others, as
much in one year as would support decently
a Continental family of the same size.
In Europe the English are acknowledged
to be the most extravagant nation, but
Americana may bear off the palm in that
respect from avery nation on the face of
the earth. And in the end what have they
to show for their lavish expenditure They
lish nor the airy elegance of the French in
their houses and dress. am an American.
say this promeditatively. 1 mean it. 1
have had occasion to learn something
about what am talking of in all tho three
countries mentioned.
for his thriftless doings, his reckless ex-
penditure, his head over-heeis way of going
at things, is that he "hasn't time" He
never has any time for painstaking.% He is
born in hurry, educated in a hurry, is
always in hurry on the street. In short,
be lives and dies in a harry. He always
undertakes to do about three times as much
as he can possibly get through whit is
the nature of the animal-and the conse-
quence is that he usually does nothing WELL
Others have to come after him and finish
up what he has left undone. lis not want
of courage, nor want of means. No! tue
rock upon which he splits is simply an
rvSv nail fx,f a.
bility to calculate fairly just how much
time is needed in which to do a certain
thing. In this respect he is always ina
ginning that he can get two feet into one
boot and split one minute into two. Yet,
somehow, he is usually behind hand. You
will see him running after street car as if
his life depended on getting into it, although
one will be along in less than two min
utes. And he thinks nothing Of risking a
plunge into the river in q mad race after q
departing ferryboat, or of putting his life
in danger by springing aboard a railroad
train while it is in motion. ALI this is be-
cause he doesn't want to wait five or ten
risks his life several times daily.
And you talk OF economy to a race like
this, to men and women who would rather
do anything in the world than wait and
take things easily!
Economy goes with a leisurely habit of
Aito. ~ 10 coouO"ICdl, Clmo ID required
above all other things. And it is simply
because we cannot or will not afford the
time, that we are not an economical people.
To rush into the nearest store upon your
route, and buy what you are in need of at
a cost of O third more than if you had gone
out of the way to get it, is in many cases q
saving Of time according to our notion, and
this is the way in which the money goes.
We haven't time to hunt up just what will
suit ia as to the price and quality. We are
at the mercy of all with whom we deal.
They in turn are at the mercy of others,
and nobody is benefited. The results of
this chronic state of being in hurry are to
be seen in high prices and poor ware-bad
food and worn out stomachs-in houses that
are put up only to tumble down over our
heads-in terrible railroad and steamboat
disasters. 1t is the cry everywhere. There
is NO time for this, nor for that, nor for the
other thing! We worry through life to
death. in which alone, for the fret time, we
find rest. What is the use of preaching
economy to such people The defect is
in our national character and in our way of
life. We shall never re economical until
we have n proper idea of the value of time,
health and money, and a better apprecia-
ton of the dignity of leisure; until We
learn to understand that display and luxury
are not necessary to happiness, and that the
middle state of life is often the most de-
sirable.-Uo'oard G!ydoas, IN New York Ere
ming Mail.