The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-03-09

ARNWAA THRFgx PzopuD2-Apy on,
who has lived abroad and has seem how
people in France and Germany-not tt
speak OF other continental couptries-
manage on incomes which, to an Ameri.
can, appear little short OF beggary, can
not but be struck with the apparent ina
bility OF our middle class people to make
little go great way. I will venture
to ssy that ninety-nine out of every hun
dred American families on limited in.
comes throw away, fritter away, and
mls,spend in buying things that they
could as we'll do without, and in payipc
exorbitant prices for those things and fol
others, as much in one year as would
support decently continental family OF
the same size.
In Europe the English are aoknow.
lodged to be the most extravagant nation,
but Americans may bear of the palm in
that respect from every nation on the
face OF the earth. And in the end what
have they to show for their lavish expen.
diture? They have neither the solid
comfort of the English nor the airy ele.
gance OF the French in their houses and
dress. am al American. say this
premeditatively. Imean it, Ihave had
occasion to learn something about Whit
l am talking of in all the three countries
mentioned.
The grand excuse of our model Ame-
rican for his thriftless doings, his reok-
less expenditure, his head o. sr- heels way
OF going at things. is that he "hasn't
time" He never has any time for PAINS
taking. He is born in a hurry, educated
In hurry, is always in hurry on the
street. In short, lives and dies in a
hurry. He always undertakes to do
about three times as much as he can
possibly get through with-it is the ma
ture OF the animal, aud the consequence
Is, that usually he does nothing we'll
Others have to come after him and finish
up what he has left undone. It is not
want OF strength, not want of capacity,
not want OF courage, not want of means.
MOI the rock upon which he splits is
simply an imagined want of time-or,
rather, an inability to calculate fairly
just how much time is needed in which
to do certain thing. In this respect,
he ID always imagining that he can get
Two feet into one boot and split one mi
mute into two. Yet, somehow, he ia
usually behind-hand. You'll see him
running after street-car as if his life
depended on getting into it, although
another ono will be along in less than
two minutes. And he thinks nothing of
rlsking a plunge into the river in mad
race after departing ferry or of
putting MS lie IN danger by springing
aboard car while it is in motion. All
this because he doesn't want to wait five
or ten minutes longer. Rather than do
this, he risks his life several times daily.
AND you talk of economy to race
k<D mr. Il
rather do anything in the world than
,od1 and take things easilyl
Economy goes with leisurely habit
OF lie. 10 be economical, time is re.
qnlred above oil other things And it is
SIMPLY because we cannot. or will not,
afford the time that we are not On eco
nomical people. To rush into the near.
est store upon yonr route and buy what
you are in need of at cost of one-third
more than if you had gone out of your
way to get it, is in many oases a saving
OF time. according to our notions; and
this is the way in which the money goes.
we haven't time to hunt up Just what
will suit us 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 i. benefited.
The results of this chronic state of being
in hurry are to be seen every day in
high prices and poor wares-bad food
aud worn-out stomschs-in houses that
are put up only to tumble down over
our heads-in terrible railroad and
steamboat disasters. It is everywhere
There is no time for this. nor for that,
nor for the other thingl We worry
through life to death, in which alone,
for the first time, We must 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 be economical until we have
proper idea of the value of time, health
and money, and better appreciation of
the dignity Of leisure; until ws learn to
understand that display and luxury are
not necessary to happiness, and that the
middle state in life is often the most de-
sirsble.-Ho,oard Glyndom in Neu York
Euening Mail.
Down in Wilmington, come time ago,
an old man who was very feeble was
helped across crowded street by youth
OF twenty. A month aftervaria the old