The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-03-18
Family Finances.

One OF the most important thlngs
for young people to learn is the proper
way of managing money matters. A
great deal of trouble and sorrow comes
from the shiftless way in which the f.
nances are administered in some fami-
lies. Accuracy in little things, regard
ing the use Of money in the early days,
will tend to form principles of strict
honesty and promptness in handling
large sums for others in later life.
One member of the family borrowing
from another member, should be just
as particular to return that money, as
if it were borrowed from an outsider.
1t may be only a few cents but the
principle involved is just the same as
if it were dollars.
Mother" said a boy in our hearing,
"you borrowed q dime of me three
weeks ago, to make change to pay the
berry woman, and you have not given
it back to me- yet"
"I'd forgotten all about it, my son"
the mother answered. 1 have not a
dime in change to-day, but I will give
it to you as soon as I get one.n Two
or three days more passed and the boy,
wanting the dime for special pur-
pose, had to speak to his mother about
the matter again. That mother would
not on any account cheat her son, but
she was unconsciously teaching him a
laxity in payment of debts.
Joe takes few pennies out Of Johns
box for some purpose, and does not re-
turn them because they are only few
pennies, and his brothers money, and
what is the difference? Mary has
some postage stamps in her desk, and
her sister Jane, who happens to be out,
goes and takes them to put on the let
ters she wishes to post Immediately.
They are her sisters stamps, and what
matter? But Mary, going to her desk
not long after, finds only one stamp
left, and OH inquiring about the miss
ing ones, which she is in great need of
at that moment, is very much put out
about the liberty Jane has taken with
her property and Jane wonders how
Mary can be 80 disagreeable about
three postage stamps!
A young girl was speaking not long
since, of one of the members of her
Sunday-school class who had much
more spending money than any of the
other girls, but who was quite apt to
forget to take her pennies with her,
and consequently borrowed of the 9th
er girls. "She never pays US back, "
added the speaker. That young girl
was slowly and surely acquiring the
habit of carelessness regarding money
matters.
Father" said daughter, not long
since, ''have You paid that boy yet for
shoveling the snow?"
mo, dear, I have not-I forgot all
about it. I have so much on my mind
that I never thought of leaving the
money for him. / am sorry, | will
leave it with Bridget this morning."
The facts of this case were these.
Joe Dibble had shoveled the snow off
from the stoop and walk of that gen.
tleman's home week before. When
he had finished the job there was no
change in the house, and the boy, of
course, could not change q five-dollar
bill. Ee was told that the money
would be left in the house, and he
could come in the morning and get it..
He had come every morning since,
and living quite distance away, it
had taken much time, in which he
might have been employed in earning
something for himself.
A lady had some beautiful lace cur
tains laundered last year. When they
were sent home she had not the mon.
ey to pay for them, but told the young
girl who brought them, that she would
send the money to the mother that
evening. But some unexpected COM
pany coming in at the time when she
was about to send the money, made
her forget it that night. Days went
on. The woman who did up the lace
curtains, was taken very i'll. The
daughter was again sentfo the money,
but the lady was out, and the servant
forgot to tell her mistress about the
girls errand, and in few days the
poor woman died. The owner of the
lace curtains, when she was called on
again, by the daughter in her rusty
mourning, and told the facts, felt very
sorry, and realized how careless and
thoughtless she had been.
1t is not the poor, and the people
who can hardly make ends meet, that
are forgetful of little debts, it is more
apt to be those who have means to pay
tnem, who do indeed pay them tut
not promptly, who are careless about
these small matters. If it is a posi-
BILE thing, when you employ poor peo-
pie to do a service for you, have the
money in your purse to pay them
when the work is done. They cannot
get credit as you can, anu a great deal
of discomfort comes to them when
they are obliged to wait for what is
due them.
Make o resolution, girls and boys,
thai you will avoid debt. When you
begin to earn money for yourselves,
learn it's value. Do not spend it fool
ishly and needlessly. Portion it out
according to your actual needs, and al
ways save out something to give toithe
Lords work. We live too much by
comparison. We think because our
neighbors have better things than we,
that we must have them too, even il
our means are not adequate to pay fol
them. We get into debt and load our
selves "with burdens very grievous to
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