The Colfax chronicle., 1890-05-17
RUNNING IN DEBT.
Don't Do 1t II You wish to BE Happy an'
f Respected.

Don't Do 1t II You Wish to Be HAPPY ano
~ Respected.
Says Douglas Jerrold: "Of what hide.
GUS progeny is debt the father! What
lies. what meanness, what invasions OF
self-respect, what cares, what double
dealing! How, in due season, it will
carve the frank, open face into wrinkles;
how, like knife, it will stab the honest
heart"
Aman has no business tolive in astyle
which his income can not support, or to
mortgage his earnings of next week or
Of next year, in order to live luxuri-
ously to-day. The whole system OF
debt, by means of which we forestali
and anticipate the future, Is wrong.
They are almost as much to blame who
give credit, and encourage customers to
take credit, as those are who incur
debts A man knows what his actual
position is II he pays rs he goes He
can keep within his means, and 80 APP
portion his expenditures as to reserve :
fund of savings against time Of need.
He is always balanced up; and If he
buys nothing but what he pays for In
cash, he can not fail to be on the credit
side of his household accounts ct the
years end.
! But once let him commence the prac-
tice of running up bills, and he never
knows how he stands. He is deceived
into debt; the road is made smooth and
pleasant for him; things fiow into the
house for which he does not seem to
pay. But they are all set down against
him; and at the years end, when the
bills come up, he Is ready to lift up his
hands in dismay. Then he finds that
the sweet of the honey will not repay
for the smart of the sting.
Men of genius are equally facile n
running into debt. Genius hasno neces
sary connection with prudence or self
constraint, or does it exercise any infln
ence over the common rules OF arith
metic which are rigid and infiexible
Men Of genius are often superior t
what Bacon calls 'sthe wisdom Of bust
ness" Yet Bacon himself did not follow
his own advice, but was ruined by hi
improvidence. He was in straits ani
difficulties when a youth, and in still
greater straits and difficulties when ,
man. His life was splendid; but hi
excessive expenditure involved him II
debts which created perpetual cravin!
for money. One day, in passing out b
his ante-chambers, where his follower
waited for his appearance, he said, sB
seated, my masters, your rise has beef
my fall" To supply his wants, Bacol
, took bribes, and was thereupon bese
, by his enemies, convicted, degrade
and ruined.
From his sad experience, no one coul
speak with greater authority on tn
! subject of debt than Jonson. "Do nc
accustom yourself" he wrote to Bos
! we'll, ito consider debt only an incor
venience; you will find. it calamity
; Let it be your first care not to be in an
! mans debt. Whatever you have, spen
j less. Frugality is not only the basis Z
, quiet, but of beneicence." To Simpsol
! the barrister, he wrote, ''Smsll debt
/, are like small shot; they are rattling o
every side, and can scarcely be escape
. without wound; great debts are lik
: cannon, of loud noise, but little dange
You must therefore be enabled to di
: charge petty debts, that you may hav
! leisure, with security, to struggle wit
= the rest. I" "Sir," said he to the patieI
: and receptive Boswell, 'get as muc
. peace of mind as you can, and kee
J within your income, and you won't &
3 far ong"-Maxwell Frazer, LII. D
y in Once a Week.