Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1873-08-27
THE COST.

TILE JUST.
1t has been tersely said that Ameri-
cans, a a people. never count the
cost" IL the remark had been ap-
piled to tho average Californian or
Nevadan, 1t would undoubtedly be
true. It Is not 80 clearly applicable,
however, when speaking Of q New
Highlander, at home. The truth L.
that the people Of this coast are piodi-
gal, excessively so. 1t Is with very
many an insult to speak Of economy,
to mentioR retrenchment or to quote
and apply the truism, "live within
your income" The very efforts Of
those unfortunates, who, with little
income and large dependencies, en-
deavor to pay their debts or to avoid
mourning them, arc by many looked
upon as evidences Of q sordid spirit
not to DO tolerated. The swindler,
the stock.broker who decamps with
the hard earned savings Of his confld-
ing patrons, finds many who look upon
his t~reachery as an evidence Of smart
ness, and NJ sympathy Is wasted on
the victims Of his dishonorable dealing.
We do not count the cost In our pleas
urcs or necessities. The average
Pacific coaster will never admit
that there Il any attraction In
the oheapness or any terror In
the costliness Of an article or pleas
ure his fancy desires, or for which
his appetite yearns. He lives high,
dresses we'll, drives fast teams, pays
for what he can, perhaps, leaving
large amounts unpaid for, and usually
dies a broken down individual In body
and soul, leaving his body to be taken
care Of by his friends and a legacy Of
debts for his family. AK q man
where he dimes, and If he pay q dollar
per day, no will tell you that 1t Isn't
tho cheapness that induces him to seek
n certain place, but he likes it better.
Ask q lady wearing an ordinary dress
what it cost, and she indignantly re-
plies that she likes that kind Of goods
better than silk and satin. II we try
to economize, we arc too proud to own
It. We shrink from owning our pow
erty, not counting the inevitable cost
Of hiding It. The old lessons Of fru-
gality, independence, and comfortable
existence have long since been forgot
ten, and society demands instead, <
travagance, servility to the dictates Of
shoddy ~aristoeracy and its sequences
discomfort and pecuniary embarrass-
meut. This is the curse Of the age.
Large fortunes suddenly accumulated,
have placed their Outlines ignorant
possessors above the social plane where
intelligence and education formerly
took precedence, and the servile
imitation by the latter OF their
Vices and prodigality has made
society 4 terror to honest poverty.
We notice this want OF calculation
overy day. II you see two old East
ern men at dinner be sure they have
estimated Its price before they eat.
Two ladies Of the old land BETTER
school will convers freely on the cost
Of their apparel and devise ways to
cheaper it. Two girls Of the period
are each unhappy In the others pres
ence II either finds the other dressed
more eXtravagantly. The cost Of this
prodigality and pride Is great. Not
alone in money, though 1t keeps the
balance Of trade against us with Eu-
rope; not alone in bankruptcy and
dishonest promises, nor yet in u~navail-
ing struggles or vain desires. It costs
us comfort, health and happiness; il
destroys the taste for home and ration
al enjoyment; 1t breeds envy and
hatred, petty spites and jealousies, and
utterly destroys the best part Of living;
/: makes us selfish and arrogant, rend-
ers us regardless Of just merit, and
only mindful Of display. It costs US
more than this; by the extravagance
Of living, marriage Is almost prohib-
tied; young lei are prodigal ; young
women are still moro careless Of the
cost. 10 keep up an establishment In
accordance with the demands Of socle-
ty, becomes impossible for any but the
wealthy. Neither the young nan or
woman Is willing to renounce their
selfish pleasures, or bravo society.
lie becomes absolute as years 60 BY
and she remains a butterfly for n few
years aud afterward a burden. Truly
the cost Is heavy.