The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1880-07-28
DEBT.

Living beyond their incomes is the
ruin of many of my neighbors; they can
hardly afford to keep rabbit, and must
needs drive pony and chaise. 1 am
afraid extravaganza is the common dis
ease of the times, and many protesting
Christians have caught it, to their shame
and sorrow. Good cotton OF stuff gowns
are not good enough nowadays; girls
must have silks and satins, and then
there's bill at the dressmakers as long
as winters night, and quite as dismal,
Show and style and smartness run away
with mans means, keep the family
poor, and the fathers nose on the grind
stone. Frogs try to look as big as bulls,
and burst themselves. A pound week
apes five hundred year, and comes to
the county court. Men burn the candle
at both ends and then say they are very
unfortunate-why don't they put the
saddle on the right horse, and say they
are extravagant? Economy is half the
battle in life; it is not so hard to earn
money as to spend it well. Hundreds
would have never known want if they
had not first known waste. II all poor
mems wives knew how to cook, how far
little might go Our minister SAYS the
French and the Germans beat us hollow
in nice cheap crockery I wish they
would send missionaries over to convert
our gossiping women into good managers;
this is French fashion which would be
deal more useful than those fine pic
lures in Mrs. Fripperys window, with
ladies rugged out in new style every
month. Dear me some people are much
too fine nowadays to eat what their
fathers were thankful to see on the table,
and SO they please their palates with
costly feeding, come to the work house,
and expect every body to pity them.
They turned up their noses at bread and
butter, and came to eat raw turnips
stolen out Of the fields. They who live
like fighting cocks at other mems costs
will get their combs cut, or perhaps get
roasted for it one of these days. If you
have great store of peas, you may put
the more in the soup; but everybody
should fare according to his earnings.
He IS both fool and a knave who has
a shilling coming in, and on the strength
OF it spends a pound which does not be-
long to him. Cut your coat according to
your cloth is sound advice; but cutting
other peoples cloth by running into debt
is as like thieving as four-pence is like a
groat. If meant to be rogue would
deal In marine stores, or be pettifogging
lawyer or priest or open a loan Office,
or go picking pockets, but I would scorn
the dirty art of getting into debt without
prospect of being able to pay.
You have debts, and make debts still,
Ifyou've not lied, lie you will
Debtors can hardly help, being liars,
for they promise to pay when they know
they cannot, and when they have made
up a lot of false excuses they promise
again, and so they lie as fast as a horse
can trot.
Now, if owing leads to lying who shall
say that it Is not most evil thing? OIL
course, there are exceptions, and I do not
want to bear hard upon an honest man
who IS brought down by sickness OF
heavy losses; but take the rule as a rule
and you will find debt to be a great dis
NAL swamp a huge mud-hole, a dirty
ditch; happy is the man who gets out Of
1T after once tumbling in, but happiest Of
all is he who has been by Gods goodness;
kept out of the mire altogether IF you
once ask the devil to dinner it will be
hard to get him out Of the house again
better to have nothing to do with him
Where hen has laid one egg. she /.
very likely to lay another; when a mar
IS once in debt, he is likely to get into il
again; better keep clear of it from the
frst. He who gets in for penny will
soon be in for a pound, and when a mar
IS over shoes, he is very liable to be over
boots. Never owe farthing and YOU
will never owe a guinea.
My motto is, pay as you 20, and keer
from small scores. Short reckoninps are
soon cleared. Pay what you owe and
what your worth you'll know. Let the
clock tick, but no tick" for me. Better
go to bed without your supper than oct
up IN debt. Sins and debts are ALWAYS
more than we think them to be. LITTLE
by little man gets over his head and
ears 1t is the petty expenses that empty
the purse. Money is round, and rolls