The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-06-08
Domestic Economy.
petersburg lva.l Index-Appeal.l

of society find it necessary to practice
more or less economy in their house
hold expenditure, and to rem ember
that with an income of twenty pounds,
Mr.. Mieawber's statement of the re-
suit in happiness or misery, depends
on which side of that sum sixpense is
considered. In general it may be
stated that, to live within their in
come, most people have to plan their
expenditure somewhat carefully
Even when people are comfortably
situated in life, it is not well to be
wasteful of resources, remembering
the old saying that "willful waste
makes woful want" Nor need econ
omy degenerate into parsimony-
Lavish expenditure may in some cases
be wise economy. Money expended
on the education of ones children,
even if it involves increased outlay in
other directions, can never be consid-
cred an extravaganza, no matter how
much it costs. Even a protracted
summer trip, and on borrowed money
at that, may in some cases prove a
wise investment, even should one have
to pinch and pare for the remaining
months of the year. Health is more
important than money.
The little economies of daily life
are what make up the savings of the
year. There is generally something
to show for money spent in the lump,
and a mans extravagances in house.
hold outlay, such as books or f1rni-
ture, seldom tell severely upon his
income. It is the minor matters
Fifty cents here, a dime there, the
little sums one cannot recall at the
end of the day if he tries are the
drains on the purse which tell at the
end of the year, are the little foxes
which steal away the grapes. Pater-
familias pleads poverty as an excuse
for not subscribing for magazine or
daily newspaper, goes to his business,
spends during the day perhaps only
ten cents and comes home pleased
with his economy. Ten cents day,
deducting Sundays, will amount to
over $50 q year, which would pay for
good many magazines.
Thrift turns everything to account.
The thrifty farmers wife is help
meet indeed for her husband. There
are many people who have plenty of
ground, who buy all their vegetables
when they could, better than not,
raise them themselves. And certainly
when peck of peas is pulled from
the vine, shelled, washed and in the
cooking pot inside of half an hour
they are far healthier and certainly
cheaper than if they were bought
from market stand when they have
been standing for hours, having been
picked the night before. Thrift means
stopping small leaks. It means nail
ing up loose board or mending
broken gate at once, at the cost of ten
minutes labor, instead of letting the
thing go till other boards follow suit
and till pigs or cattle have found out
the secret of the broken gate and
done riot in the garden or field
Thrift means, in short, wise preyis-
ion; not putting off till tomorrow
what can be done to-day, and, by
looking after pennies to give the
pounds chance.
People need not be miserly they
need not be parsimonious; they need
uot stint themselves either of comforts
or Injuries; they need not neglect the
collection in church nor the poor at
the gate. A wise economy viii do
none of these things, but it is not
parsimony to be careful It's no par
simony to look after even penny,
and as the old saying, is mot to de-
spise the day of small things" Not
without cause did all those old prov