Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-09-17
Laying by for a Rainy Day.

One OF the saddest sights ID that Of .
man who, after earning . good Income
for many years, finds himself at 1ast 70
duced to poverty and distress. II NOT %
actual dependence upon charity, simply
because he has saved nothing for .
" rainy day" Such . spectacle 10 mot
uncommon in our large cities; it 10 e.
pecially common in this great city Of
New York, where the cost of living Y
SO high, and the temptations to spend
money lavishly are 80 numerous and
slluring. Nultitudes Of men living on
salaries or days wages, and with fami-
lies dependent upon them for present
and future support. are to-day spend
ing every dollar they earn. Be the in
come large or small, it goes rs fast q
it comes, and at the end of tn year, II
it shows no deficit, is equally devoid OF
" balance on hand"
So reckless mode OF living, We need
hardly say, is unworthy Of man OF
sense. One who has only his brain or
his manual dsxterity to depend upon
for the support Of himself and his
family, is liable ct any time to lose his
power to earn. II that time comes
early in life it is his misfortune, and he
is not to blame for it. But the man
who goes on for = decade or score OF
years, earning money and saving moth
ing. has NO right to complain II at last
he suffers the due penalty OF his fool
ish improvidence. 1t is. in word,
every mans duty not only to live
within his income ito do otherwise
is simple knavery-but to lay by . part
Of his earnings a. provisionvfor the
future. No matter how small the in
come, something should be saved.
1t is q disgrace" we once heard .
merchant say to thriftless clerk, :" for
u man to die without leaving enough to
pay his funeral expenses" It il
greater disgrace for him to become O.
10 many do, burden upon private Or
public charity, II by reasonable SELF
denial in prosperous days he can save
something to live upon when the abili-
ty to earn no longer exists.
It is not always an easy or pleasant
thing, We admit, to save money. Many
men say. II cannot save anything
without depriving myself and my
family OF enjoy ments which are essen-
tial to our happiness" Yet it 10 worthy
of note that a. the income increases the
" eujoyments increase with il, rDv-
ing that they are relative, not poh. tive
necessities. and may be somewhat cnr-
tailed without depriving life of all it,
sweetness. The question TO be con-
sidered is, whether it is not better to
provide for the average happiness and
comfort OF life by prudent saving than
to enjoy heea,sssly the passing mo-
ments, and trust to luck for wealth
ering the distant "rainy day." No
sensible nsn. surely, can find any
difficulty in determining what the an
swer should DO.
Prudent regard fer the future does
not, ss some suppose, imply distruat Of
Gods providential care. The admoni-
ton to take NO thought for the NOR
row is to be interpreted simply - 3
wise warning against tho anxious,
worrying. misery spirit which leads
men 10 give their whole thought 10
getting and saving money, TO tho ex-I
clue,on OF all nobler occupations and
genera Is impulses, The Same divins
voice which uttered this admonition
also bi .s us take counsel Of the ant,
which lays by her store for future
need.
In fine, while mean and sordid par
sirsony is to be avoided. it is the su-
premest folly for man TO 80 on year
after year spending all he earns. whom
|Any'dsy his power to earn may be taken
from him. 'Enjoyments obtained q
IiICh cost arc dearly bought, a many
q man has learned by bitter experiences.
--Eraminsr and Cbr0aicls.