The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1872-02-08
Money.

Itisa singular fact, but fact nevertheless
that most people have profound respect fo
the mere possession of money! Everybody
is ready to deny this, and each one will pro
test that he does not regard any man al
better wiser, or nsbler, because he happens
to have more dollars than it falls to the lot
of ople generally to possess. This, in tho
abstract, perhaps is true, but the fact is that
not one in a hundred fail to estimate men by
the number of their acres or their balance at
their bankers. Strangely enough the people
who showsmost reverence for wealth, arc oft
en- those who.most loudly decry such senti.
mcnts. They abuse wealthy people as purse.
proud, and dsreally think, themselves above
estimating men By the coats they wear or the
dinners they serve. But these very people
are careful to dress we'll when they can af-
ford it, lest their: poverty should appear
Their shabbyfcarpcts must be replaced by
new ones Though the education Of their
children be cut short for want ofthe money
thus SPENT They entertain more company
than they can afford, and feed their guests
on costly viands, while they themselves arc
haunted by the gaunt ghost of pinched din
ners to come. A thousand shams show an
undue respect for money, and a thousand
lies are acted for the sake of conceahng their
poverty.
1t is an 3ld adagc that The King need
not dress well, /" and its inference, that poor
er people must cover up their poverty with
finer houses and more costly clothes than
they have any use for, tells sad tale Of hu-
man folly. If your last Writer'S overcoat is
dingy, will it be any the less comfortable on
that account? If you can not afford to buy
new one,Sis it not more manly to wear the
old one, than to wrap yourself in a lie made
to order by.your tailor? Why should you
deny your family needed comforts in order
that people for whom you do not care strew
should think you wcalthier than you are I
Money has certain value. 1t is worth
Just what it will purchase, and no more. In
other words, is good as means but not as
an end. tits ser1iccable thing, because
to a certain,extent, it will purchase comfort
for its possessor, and enable him to accom-
plish worthy ends But its possession adds
nothing to his moral or intellectual stature,
and the man who prctends to have more of
it than he has, or who is ashamed of its alb
sence mustibe wanting in mauliuess of char
acter Money has no intrinsic value, and
must be expended to be Of any account. 1t
will buy fsod and clothing, but in itself it
will ncitherfeed the hungry nor clothe the
powerful instrument. in the
hands ofits possessor it is we'll worth working
for; but'it is not worth a sacrifice of health or
of honor, because,i 1t will not buy these. Yet
there arc people who for the sake of gold
will sacrifice comfort and duty, and even
honor, denying themselves for the sake of
wealth all the good that wealth can bring
them and more. Mrs Barbauld says that
any man may befich, if he is willing to pay
the price, and she is probably right. But
in how many cases is the price altogether
too high? We have seen mon whose wealth
was made grand.machine for the accom-
plishment of worthy ends; but these are not
they who have paid high prices for their
gold. They have struggled and toilcd per-
hans; they have denied themselves and prac-
ticed economy, that thrift might come and
render them strong for good deeds; but they
hayc sacrificed nothing. of character; they
have paid out no reputation as price; they
have not put their souls up to barter.-Hearh
and Home.