The Red Cloud chief., 1882-08-18
THE LAWS OF SPENDING.

THE LAWS OF SPENDING.
NJ would seem as il, when the income
had been earned. no law should be al
lowed To limit or check the direction i'm
which it should & =. and yet the most law
less are bound, and in spite Of them
selves have t. meet certain obligations
entailed by the very fac, Of possessing an
income. Chafe as one may the actual
necessities If daily life are inexorabie.
and he who would have a quiet mind
for work or enjoyment must plan for
them wisely. Here, as i'm everything
else. the law, recognized as just and
accepted deliberately and with clear
consciousness of what such accept
ance implies, ceases to be n burden, and
becomes rather an inspiration and stim-
ulus TO continued and better effort.
The laws Of spending are simple, and
yet confusion reigns in many homes be-
cause they have never been presented
clearly enough to compel understanding
and action. The same wise man quoted
IN a former paper on Farmers and
Spendcrs" defined them as 1.-THE law Of
choice. the law Of amount and the law
Of method" and though different ar
engagements could easily be made there
is no better summary for the spcnder Of
any income. large oil small.
The '' law of choice has a comforta-
bic sound. seeming 10 put one at once
on an independent footing, yet when
definition is attempted Is simply that
"as we cannot have everything we
must give up some things for the sake
# having others" Then arises the
u tion of what to give up. and here
comes in n of the greatest differences
in capacity, among both men and
wemen. that OF seeing things in their
true order. For many, great things are
made always To wait Oh little things,
and the smallest accident is sufficient TO
spoil a day and make q whole family
uncomfortable and unhappy. So in ex-
penditUre. a small need is allowed to
rise up and dwarf far greater ones. The
law. and the only law that can hinder
such disaster. is a distinction possible
for all. that things which end wholly
or mainly in privileges for the body
should be limited i'm favor of things
which tend TO the higher joys OF mind
and heart.
Self-indulgence has grown TO be so
much n part of our easy and prosperous
American life that we are very apt to
resent the necessity of ending it even in
slight degree. Yet often a good might
he accomplished with ease if we were
willing To do without some small luxury.
A set of books. a picture. a microscope,
anything earnestly desired by some
n in the family to whom it's
possession would mean
in a larger intellectual or spiritual
life, could often be had il some
table luxury were set aside. Cake,
for instance. or deserts on any day but
Sunday. could be dispensed with, with
no real loss in comfort or health, and
their cost will be found = large portion
of the weekly table expenses. To 60
without is not agreeable, and yet with
limited income this is one certain means
OF obtaining many coveted. and unless
one will 60 without. unattainable pos
sessions.
The LAW of amount is even more
binding, and implies not only Live
within your income" but Live SO far
within it as to save something every
year" 1t is the fashion to sheer of
small savings and economies. a fashion
that makes us of the most lavish
Nations on the face of the earth, vet the
only road to real independence lies here.
And because money viii be spent for
many things, each one of which stand
ing alone seems perfectly reasonable.
and yet sums up in the total as %ruinous
extravaganza, the final law becomes
most essential of all.
The claw of method then, meaning
not only the accurate Keeping of &C.
counts. but q fixed determination be.
forehand just how much shall be spent,
is the final essential of all incomes. II
is not easy to settle upon what are essen.
tials and what non-essent;als. Still less
is il easy to decide before experience
has given the necessary lessons Just
what portion must 90 for food, fuel.
light etc. And because food Mt least is
bought with less calculation than any
other household necessity there Is =
popular belief that calculation is impos-
sible. Where it is attempted an i'm
mediate suspicion of meanness and
skimpiness seems TO attach itself at
once. Even when the calculation is
made there is constant temptation to
break through the self-imposed bounds.
The temptation becomes stronger
where there is promiscuous hospitality,
q simple meal seeming an offense TO
ones guest. and thus the point of al
most inevitable loss and waste in
made by custom and false feeling
still more troublesome and almost hone.
less one with which to contend.
Out Of all such ENHANCEMENT the claw
OF method viii sooner or later lead.
Decide once for all. and then be ada
mant TO all undermining of resolution.
It viii in the beginning discomfort
and probably modification, even when
good n assures one that the course
II the only honorable one. But with
every month of continuance il yrows
easier. Wants will remain. but mone
and more they take their true pl.ce and
become subsidiary TO higher needs The
conscience and resolute will applied TO
one phase of daily life have insensiblv
ennohled and strengthened the whole
character, and small ~ were the begin.
nings there is incalculable gain in the
end. II prosperity comes there i les
chance Of its bringing with it the sell
fishnesss and insensibility to others
needs often found in its train. uk|
fails It least the higher properties ne
main.
what = e.eeIe.s:
A. God lfveA b permanent
Out Of al the drudging discipline IL
soul may come liner and trusr Tor such