The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-03-17
A Plain Dutr of Women.
New York Evening Post.l


The episodes of misery, defalcation
and death that have succeeded each
other in 80 rapid succession in various
parts of the country, almost uniformly
CONFIRM the observations often made in
these columns relative to the current
habits of costly living and the extensive
embarrassments to which those habits
have given birth. The downfall Of
this or that unhappy person may be
commonly imputed to speculation, or
misfortune in business, or to other
causes; but the origin of the great bulk
of these disasters, if carefully sought
out and verified, win be found, we be-
lieve, in extravagant expenditure In
every day life.
last ten years has swept over the cQLn-
Try has brought about these calamlties,
but in strictness it has not caused them.
As with houses built on sand, the weak
ness already existed and awaited but
the strain of the tempest to become de-
plorably manifest. The custom, to pur-
ne the metaphor, was to build as If no
storm was ever to be expected. But the
only safe custom is to build as II the
storm were imminent and inevitable.
Had our various social editices been con-
structed on the solid rock of prudence
and far-sighted accumulation, the hurri-
cane might have burst as itwould, and all
would have been stauneh andstrong; or
at least many a home would have stood
fast and firm that has fallen in desola-
ton and ruin.
American women have a task set be-
fore them to which they should forth
with put an earnest and willing hand.
It's to return as far as may be practicable
to the old and frugal ways, the forehand-
ed and sagacious domestic management
of their grandmothers. By example, no
less than actual saying, they may by
this means do a world of good. Let
them show their husbands and fathers
that they are determined to oppose
wasteful and unseemly outlay as
matter of principle. The family may
be able to "afford" such outlay to-day
but may not be able to afford it tO-mor-
row. A useful lesson is to be had here
from the king who insisted that his
children should be taught trade, and
this applies to girls as well as boys. No
one can positively tell what his future
circumstance may be. Some of the
richest noblemen In England are also
the poorest, because of the constantly in
creased demand upon their resources.
Poor Richard may not be the best guide
in the world in everything, but he lie
certainly safe one in domestic econ
omy.
There is no earthly need for doing al
ways what other people do, or thinking
always what other people will say.
Sterne, by the way of laughing at con-
ventions, made some of the chapters of
"Tristram Shandy" consist of but three
lines, and even has several chapters IN
succession that contain neither line nor
word but stars only as the shadows or
substitutes of what might have been.
IfAmericans will but dare in this special
sense to also disregard conventions, to
insist on becoming housewives Of the
good old stamp, of regulating their
homes, not of necessity as others do, but
as their own sense of right and length
of purse justify, with an eye to the tu-
ture as well as the present, there will be
fewer breaches of trust and broken for
tunes in the business world hereafter
than in these ten sad years there have
been, as well as a much sounder, because
much safer enjoyment of life among
business men