The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1872-03-22

dies have not made Spain rich, because
her outgoes are greater than her in
comes.''
Away, then, with your expensive
follies, and you will not then have SO
much cause to complain of hard times,
heavy taxes, and chargeable families;
for
"Women and wine, game and deceit
Make the wealth small, and the want
great
And farther, "what maintains one vice,
would bring up two children" You
may think, perhaps, that little tea,
or little punch now and then, diet
little more costly, clothes little finer,
and a little entertainment now and then,
can be no great matter; but remember,
"many little makes mickle." Be-
ware of little expenses; "a small leak
will sink great ship" as poor Richard
says; and again, ''who danties love,
shall beggars proves" and moreover.
fools make feasts, and wise men eat
them"
Here you are all got together to this
sale of fineries and nick-nacks. You
call them goods, but if you do not take
care, they will prove erils to some Of
you. You expect they will be sold
cheap, and perhaps they may, for less
than they cost; but if you have no oc-
casion for them, they must be dear to
you. Remember what poor Richard
says, ''buy what thou hast no need of,
and ere long thou shalt sell thy ncces-
saries." And again, cat great pen
ny-worth pause while" He means,
that perhaps the cheapness is apparent
only, and not real; or the bargain, by
straitening thee in thy business, may
do thee more harm than good. For in
another place he says, "many have
been ruined by buying good penny
worths.' Again, sit is foolish to lay
out money in a purchase of repent
ance;'' and yet this folly is practised
every day at auction, for want of mind
ing the almanac. Many one for the
sake Of fnery on the back, have gone
with a hungry belly, and half starved
their families; 'silks and satins, scarlet
and velvcts, put out the kitchen fire."
as poor Richard says. These are not
the necessaries of life, they can scarcely
be called the convcniencics; and yet,
only because they look pretty, how
many want to have them? BY these
and other extravagancics, the gcnteel
are reduced to poverty, and forced to
borrow of those they formerly despised,
but who, through industry and frugali-
ty, have maintained their standing; in
which case it appears plainly, that "a
ploughman on his legs is higher than a
gentleman on his knees as poor Rich
ard says. Perhaps they have had a
small estate left them, which they knew
not the getting of; they think ''it is
day, and will never be night;' that a
little to be spent out of 50 much is not
worth minding; but 'always taking
out of the meal-tub, and never putting
in, soon comes to the bottom" as poor
Richard says; and then, "when the
. we'll is dry, they know the worth of
water" But this they might have
known before, if they had taken his
advice; ''if you would know the value
of money, 60 and try to borrow some;
for he that goes borrowing goes a
sorrowing," ," as poor Richard says; and
indeed SO does he that lends to such
people, when he goes to get it again.
Poor Dick father advises, and says,
.'Fonl pride of dress is sure curse;
Ere fancy you consult, consult your purse
And again, "pride is as loud a beggar
as want, and great deal more saucy.' -
When you have bought one fine thing,
you must buy ten more, that your ap,
pcarance may be: all of a piece; but
poor Dick says, lit is easier to sup
, press the first desire than to satisfy all
that follow it," and it is as truly folly
for thepoor to ape the rich, as for the
frog to swell in order to equal the OK.
"Vessels large may venture more,
But little boats should keep near shore.''
9 1t is, however, folly soon punished;
l fer, as poor Richard says, ''pride thai
dimes on vanity, sups Oh contempt;
g pride breakfasted with plenty, dinet
4 with poverty, and supped with infamy.'
S And after all, Of what use is this pride
!, of appearance, for which SO much il
S risked, SO much is suffered? 1t can no,
u promote health, nor ease pain; it makes
n ..,..a,rn e ,~,o~:4 -, Al,> x>n,,,,>. :,