River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-03-12
FAMILY FINANCES.
1 Fundamental Matter That Is To1 Often
Neglected.

1 Fundamental Matter That Is Too Often
Neglected.
Underlying the family life. in a sense
he plain. bare soil from which spriEg
is flowers and fruits, is the family
finance. says an exchange. Though so
fundamental. il is a matter that Is so
surprisingly often neglected. In the
poverty-striclen Old World a calculat-
ing economy is felt To be vital To exist
ence. But in our rich young land are
homes of both high and low degree
whose one financial principle is prac-
tically. spend as you make. a princi-
pie which has an alarming propensity
to stretch out into: spend before you
make. in anticipation of your making.
And 80 another cause Of fret and strain
and breakdown is added to our Amer
lean living
The pity of il. II is so easy, let one
but think so, to plan intelligently for
the home of our love. II is so delight
full TO unite systematically, now in a
wise outlay, now in glorious extrava-
gance, now in a sturdy self-denial The
delight of it gilds poverty, and adds a
new luster even to wealth.
Systematically, we say. And GER
/ tainly, If system is ever needed " our
workaday world. it is when the heads
/ of the family meet in council upon a
peak of time TO consider the family
I finances.
In the ideal system our first care is
the settling of the scale of expenditure.
Too often this is set lightly, after the
scale of our childhoOd's home, or that of
our social circle, or of our neXt-door
neighbour. or i Is even set unwittingly,
by an accident, friend gift, or an UNI
wary purchase of our own. We now
set it deliberately, recognizing il as
the vital point of our system.
We set solemnly. realizing that,
sooner or later. every thing is likely to
cost in heart and brain and soul as well
as in current coin. We have no vulgar
shame of simplicity. Unhappily we
know that We're plain living and high
thinking" to rule more widely among
our republican homes, there would be
many a winged spirit set free for lofty
flight that shall now be cribbed, cab
ined and confined for baser uses through
all its mortal life.
Next we make a schedule of the fam
ily needs 1t is to be complete one,
with the completeness Of well-rounded
living And our items shall be charm
ingly Professionalism. schooling, fur
niture, books, benevolences. millinery,
music, and SO on. We linger over this
part of our work. determined to pre-
vent the crowding ont of any of those
l. IL -.
disregarded in our busy days and care
less moods; haunted by some old, old
words: rs not the life more than meat,
and the body than raiment?'
And now. with our scale of expendi-
ture set and our budget of needs com
pleted. we are ready for the great work
of family statecraft-the just appor-
tionment of our resources among our
need items. One practical suggestion
ere we begin it: Over and above our APP
portionments let us be as careful to
leave a margin" as We're ever the I'M
fortunate young tinanciers in Great
Expectations" Only our margin must
be a real one. kept for unexpected emer-
gencies. 1t is the unexpected which
counts"
When we have stood aside to watch
the drama of life we have seen strange
sights-parents starving the minds of
children in order to pamper their bodies;
women devoting wealth to the one
coarse purpose of display; men harden
ing themselves against the suffering and
sorrow of their fellows into brutal cal
lousness, to go their own ways undis-
turbed. And now. as we ourselves are
called upon TO judge of the varied val
ues of life needs, how shall we be just?
How shall we keep our domineering
wants from playing the part of the lean
kline of King Pharaoh's dream? Oh. for
a scale in our weighing that shall weigh
for US the impalpable things.-N. Y.
Star