The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1890-01-03
.Ghr lrmurraf- Star
TIE ADVANTAGES OF DEBT.

olson and the Spectator this has
been a layorite and prolific topic
of periodical esSayiSls and writer's
on ''Self- Help; and if it be true
of the human affections that "they
a paint the best who feel them
most" we cannot doubt The ability
of these writer's to present the
matter in the most vivid colors. 81
am as~tonished," says Sir Richard
Steele, whose life was a race with
baliffs, shat men can be so insen-
sible to the danger of running INTO
debt" "Out Of debt" echoes
Douglas Jerrold, with the passion
ale eloquence Of one tasting for
the first time the luxury he de-
scribes, ''and though you have a
patch on your knee, a hole in your
hat, and a crack in your shoe-leath-
er, you are still the Sol of liberty ,
free as the singing lark above you.
Out of debt, and what a nourishing
sweet may be found in cold water;
what ambrosial nouriSbment in IL
hard egg! The debtor,
what is he but a serf out upon a
holidav-a slave, TO be reclaimed
at any instant by his owner, the
creditor 7"
This, it must be confessed, is
well put, and by writers who are
entitled to say, Experto crede.
But there is another side to the
subject, and it is easy 10 show that,
if debt has itsmiseries, it has, by
the never-failing law of compensa-
ton, its Blessings too, which equal,
il they do not more than counter
balance them. If the condition Of
Indebtedness is one OF slavery, The
long and splendid roll of men who
have bowed to its yoke shows that
it has a strange fascination. Lord
Bacon wrote on "The Wisdom Of
Business" yet ran desperately In
debt. William Pitt had anIncOme
of thirty to fifty thousand dollars
IA year, and dled two hundred thou
sand dollars in debt. Sheridan
spent the fortunes OF two wives,
and was always lodging creditors
and baiIilTs. Daniel Webster had
a large professional income, yet
lived and died amid a swarm of
debts. Was not Fielding swamped
all his life by debt, and yet did not
Lady Montague say Of him THAT
he had known more happy mo-
ments than any'person on earlhE"
But, nat to rely on great names,
who does not love to be IAN object
of interest" to his fellow-men and
what surer and easier way Of be-
coming such than by contracting
"little bills aud large in all quar-
ters? Who is the object of more
watchful attention, of tenderer and
more anxious soliclludp, on the
part of his fellow-citizens, than
lie whose promises to pay / held
year after year? Whose move.
ments are inquired after with more
trembling solicitude, whose death
rs mourned over with more poig-
nant sorrow than his who owes
many thousands more than his es-
tate can pay? There is no man
who does not love 10 hold some
in The memories of his fell
who does not cling TO the
pleasing hope that he will not be-
come entirely "to dumb lOrgelful-
mess a prey" when he shall have
shuffled off this mortal coil and
how can one more effectually guard
against so painful a result than by
leaving IN The hands of his friends
and neighbors, not a worthless lock
OF hair, but a more precious me-
mortal in The shape Of an unsettled
bill or nota-of-hand, the interest of
which will "a forever Increasing?
How vivid We're Horace Greeley's
recOllectiOns vt Door Poe, whose
autograph he hen on several bits
of paper, compared with his memo
rv Of other and even greater poets!
There is another advantage Of
debt Of even greater moment il
gives a zest to life which nothing
else can impart. The man in debt
is never tormented with that UNI
easy listlessness, that restless crav-
ing without an object, that mObili-
ty without an aim, that feeling of
idleness, yet of disquIet, which is
known as ennui. OF that wretch
ed feeling led Spinoza TO pass his
time in catching spiders and teach
ing them to fight, and which drove
The master spirit of antiquity, The
Stagirite himself, when his wine Of
life had run to the lees, to die as
The fool dielh, 10y his own hands,
the debtor knows nothing. The
fire of existence never becomes
caky or ashy /; his soul never preys
upon itself; he experiences none
of the miseries that steal in upon
him whose life is free from anxiety
or care. With the debtor life is
full of meaning and interest. He
has a continual spur to rxertion,
and the pleasure of faculties kept
perpelually on the stretch. While
the minds of other men are droOp-
ing like a banner by a flagstaff for
want of the wind OF occasion to
set them in motion, his is Inces-
sanity occupied with schemes TO
silence The impOrtunate demand Of
creditors and to keep sheriffs from
his door. Whether securing the
streets 10 borrow money or busted
with schemes for earning it, he is
thoroughly engrossed in the pass
ing day, and has not a moment for
the torture of excessive ease. DC