New-York tribune., 1877-01-01
BOTH ENDS or THE YEAR.


BOTH ENDS or the YEAR.
II is but the small minority of our readers,
we suspect, who take sentimental view OF
the New Year. Young people may have stayed
awake last night to mourn over their snort
comings in the past twelve months, and TO re-
solve to begin afrcsh this morning with
hrand-new diary, and complete moral change
of base But middlc-aged folks are seldom
tortured with sudden repentance or levers Oh
enthusiasm. At forty we have not much falth
in spurts OF wcll-doing; we are apt to be
more forgiving to our neighbOrS sins than we
were at fourteen, and TO give to the reform
of our own, quiet, persistent effort rather than
ooonies of renOrse Our readers of this class,
if they were awake at all last night when the
last wear went out, were thinking less OF the
cold man diving on the waste" while his
son and heir doth ride post-haste." than OF
the bills which would fall due tomorrow
How to make the old man ana his heir shake
hands comfortably, as far as money Is con-
ceIncd never was a harder question to settle
than Just now. There is wide gap between
the ends of the year i'll many hard-WorklnS
household, and no money to bridge 1t. To-
morrow begins the fight of yellow envelopes,
birds of worse omen than ravens, and as sure
forebodcrs of disaster and ruin
We have been in the habit OF preaching to
our readers until the theme is worn out that
they should keep out of the reach OF these
semi-ycarly bills by the easy practice OF pay
ing in cash for food and clothes or else going
hungry and shabby. But we doubt this year
whether there is really any necessity for such
n bomily. The experience OF the last three
wears has been so hard discipline for Amerl-
cans that if any of them have not learned
economy through it, our adjuratlonS are not
likely to produce much effect. One thing we
will say. however, that we deserve credit, as
a pe0plc for the prOmptnes5 and good humor
with which we accepted the lesson and have
mt Il in practice. We hear abuse on every
side of our extravaganza, and doubtless deserve
it. But il should be remcmberftthat nowhere
III Christcndom is money so easily earned as
it was here; that luxury, art, travel, were new
delights to the newly rich and that they are
hardly to be blamed for buying them at lavish
prices. When our folly threatened us with
ruin, however after the JAY Cooke 1allrre'
there was quiet but vast shIlnkage III the
expenditures OF individuals and families all
over the country, which speedily showed itself
in wholesome relief i'll our condition. lhls
economy is not, of course, so percepu-
bic in the great cities where there is class
Of people whose wealth is so assured and large
as not to he apprcciaby touched by panlc5 OF
any sort But the great majority of Americans,
the cultured well-tO-dO professional and mer-
camille classes, as well as those depending on
manual labor for support, have with quiet
GOOD sense steadily lcsSencd theirannual outlays
since 1878. The higher the social scale, the more
promptly as a rule is the necessity for economy
recognized and put into practice. a scholar or
Il gentleman knows that he will lose no friends
NV giving up his carriage and going on foot;
and a wpll-brcd woman Is confident that her
guests will be satisfied with any dinner she
may set before them, provided the hner hoSN-'
tality of thought and courtesy which she can
rive is rot lacking. 1t is the man whose social
rank depends on the money he spends to whom
economy has been difficult. Even by this class
it has been prG:ticcd, however.
II will be more necessary this year than
ever. Even if the depressing causes are re-
moved. the sense of insecurity is so great that
there will be little chance for making money in
1877 by bold speculation or even steady trade.
We must take the next best method: save it.
NOt Nv tllI ldsc putty hllI'iI hI'h'o 'o '"'N'
the bread from our employees, to hoard away
money. Let us spend what we can afford
where it will best cOnduCc to keep others
employed and trade active, but not risk one dol
lar in debt If we cannot drink coffee, let us take
10 water; if we cannot feed our children on
meat, give them oatmeal. Hardy, honest long
lived men have been reared by the score In
Scotland on such fare and training, and stepped
to the front in literature, politics, and science
Secondly let those who happen to be creditors
push tlrir claims with such mercy as they can
afford. The Winter is hard Work is scarce.
Other debtors are delinquent. Let every man,
IN short, be as severe in his dealings with his
own accOunt-bOOk and as easy with that of
his ncighbor us may be, and the ends OF the
year may, after all, be made to meet happily for
! all of us.
| DR. UOODU1RD is STATES EVIDFNCE.
The negotiations for the release of Eibirt A.