Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1888-10-18
ECONOMY.
A Subject that MI Wise People
Should study

A Subject that nil Wise People
Should study.
The current number of Good House.
keeping says;
From time immemorial men and women
have been In the habit of laying mort
cages on their backs, making hands,
muscles and nerves do the work that
money ought to do, simply that they may
outshine their neighbors, in large house,
new piano, handsome lace curtains or
fashionable library" and when all has
been procured, il indeed Mother Nature
has not foreolosed her mortgage, the
fingers are too stiff to play the piano,
the mind to dull to enjoy the library,
the back, bent almost double, is held in
place by the sharpest OF rheumatic
stitches, and the soul has been so pinched
and starved as to be beyond the power of
redemption.
How has such state of affairs been
brought aboui2 Oh, by economy, saving
the pennieg at the expense of health,
strength and soul expansion. We can
all OF as cite instances that have come
under our observation, and may have en-
tered into our experience, where the "wo-
men folks" have made bargain with the
imam folkn that they will do ell the work,
providing he will pay them the money
which 1t will cost to hire help. Spring
quits made and draped in the latest style
loom up in the imagination of mother
and daughters, and for o time everything
passes along smoothly. The spring house-
cleaning is disposed OF In short order !;
stoves are taken down before the frost ia
out Of the ground, the heavy spring work
is done up early SO that the said two
men folks" can have chance to sew on
the now suits before the warm days come
on. But one day the doctor is called to
visit the mother or daughter and the old
story is repeated, "Oh / guess we tried
10 do too much and got overdone." For
does not follow, and If the front door
does not wear "drapery." Ten times the
amount saved ~ gone to the doctor, and
poor Mother Nature has TO repair the
wasted strength by slow and wearisome
stages.
Il Is greater wrong to be extrayagant
with strength than to be extravsgsnt with
money. It is poor economy to save PEN
MES at the expense Of a great deal Of
strength and time. Spend all in modera-
tion but hold time and strength as Of
more value than money.
False ambition is one prolific source Of
false economy, and it is truly pitiable to
see the woful ignorance that exists re-
garding true economy. More true econ
0my Is praotioed among the yeryrich than
among thevery poor. The best economy
Ia practiced among the middle Glasses.
Give one dollar to each of two women,
one selected from the middle class, the
other from the very poor GLASS, the former
will buy -four and yeast and make twenty
ioaves or more Of good bread; the latter
will spend it for poor bread and beer and
will not have one cent left after three
days time. The poor do not understand
economy Of buying TO advantage aud
they do not care to learn, hence they are
poor. Many woman works OF washing,
ironing, houaecleRning, scrubbing, day
after day, year after year, wages are paid
regularly, but there is no knowledge as to
the best means of spending money. Goal
is bought by the pail, thus making the
cost to the consumer from eight to twelve
dollars per ton fer what could be pur-
chased for four dollars OF ton. Bread is
bought from the baker, thus making the
cost Of bread 200 or 800 per cent more
than need be. Physical strength put
into the making of good bread is good
economy. In this way money 10 saved,
and the good bread produced, In turn
helps to preserve the strength. The
poorer classes have an ambition to dress,
and this ambition is cultivated above
every other. The hard-earned wages go
fast for cheap goods, tawdry ribbons,
poor lacss, brass jewelry, false frizzss.