The Washington times., 1894-09-09
ECONOMY AS A FINE ART. (

EcONoMY AS A FINE ART. =
Novel Ideas Which One English Girl Has on
the Subject.
OF all the virtues extoled by sage and
saint, few 10 my mind are 30 attractive as the
power of saving money, says foreign writer.
All my life have desired ardently to save
money. I have never done so. The greatest
stumbling block in the path Of my ambition
has been that never had any money to save.
1t has been my lot 10 think what l might have
accomplished had fortune been kinder
might" say advisedly, for there is one
thing stronger than human desire and that
is human instinct. / have strong instinct TO
spend. Preachers say that there is no in
stinct of the human soul which has not its
corresponding means of qualification either
in this world or the next. l am in a position
10 deny that statement. Ny instinct TO spend
money has wandered minated and forlorn,
apparently without hope of ever finding its
gratifying complement since my birth. As
10 the next world, have never heard of any
shops there. or. for the matter of that, any
money.
In my early youth whenever any one
wanted TO make me present they gave me a
purse or else money-boX. What their object
was | never could guess. Certainly my eco
nomical desires needed no stimulus; all they
wanted was an opportunity which never
came. The advantage of having several
purses and money-boxes is that occasionally
you stow some nancy away in one and for
get it The JOY of finding it is unspeakable.
I hat happened TO me once, but unhappily it
was not my money. The chief use to which
put the moncy-boxes was TO lock them. fasten
the keys TO penny keyring, and jingle them
in my pocket.
l well remember three purses l once pos
sessed. one contained label benevolent
Objects, another Gifts to Friends" and the
third was devoted to - Personal Expenses" |
have the first still. 1t is little worn and looks
like new; most elegant receptacle of delicate
Russian leather. with tempting pockets oil
yarving sizes. 1t seems sad to think that such
IA purse, made for shining gold pieces and
crisp bank notes should have been used so
little. and be practically unacquuinted with
the nObler specimens of our coinage
The second was a small. unobtrusve
purse, which I found in an old drawer the
other day. Often have l raked its recesses in
the hope that ! might do justice to the
strength OF my affections. That hope was
rarely fulfilled.
The purse Tor personal expenses has van
ished, presumably worn out | remember il
well. II was large and strong and tough.
During lis latter days it had a hole-nay.
several holes-in its lining. while. through
carrying heavy cargoes OF copper coin. the
clasp was disabled | once found three
penny bit Unexpectedly between the lining
and the leather. Ever afterwards used TO
put thrcepenny bits in that purse with the
hope that they would get lost. As | examined
the purse thoroughly at frequent intervals,
however. they never had time to do so.
The only thing [ ever saved was a five
pound not, bestowed on me by n benevolent
rala f,l H. Ia
me, with the guilelessness OF childhood, to
lend that astounding sum 10 her majesty the
Queen. who was supposed to be in pecuniary
embarrassments which only my note could re-
lieve. As was ignorant of the methods OF
withdrawing money from the Post-Oflice Saw
ings Bank, the money remained there some
time. 1t is not there now.
1t may be wondered why l long to have
the power 10 save. Let me briefly explain
should not thiEk of saving until did not
want TO buy anything further. II could
save / should have Travelled all over the
world and seen everything worth seeing. Ny
house would be crammed with books and
pictures. | should not have to vex my medi-
tative spirit by arduous iabors. l should have
cleared some dozens of hospitals and good in
stitutions from debt built almshouses. and
pensiOned off few worthy old souls who
were looking YEARLY at the wOrkhouse in the
nearing future. Then ! should begin to save
Think how delightful
l know very well there are many people
who win think my position quite untenable
They say, determine how much you will
spend aud never spend farthing more come
life or death. Now that is absurd. What's
the good of living to make oneself miserable
about half pence? Money is but a vile serv-
ant of man. True in this as in family life.
the domestic occasionally holds the keys of
power.
But saving of such a martinez description
is positively distasteful when carried into
practice. 1t is inartistic the deadly sin of
the nineteenth century. You may be a liar,
scandalmoDger, even decently immoral,
but beware of being inartistic. 1t means So
cial death, which to some people is as much
worse than physical departure as hanging is
more trying TO the nerves than influenza.
Such is not the gentle art of saving. There
is nothing gentle about it. 1t is violence
personifed. Ny plan is quito different.
Patents are selfish things, hence 1 give my
plan to the world unprotected. When l see
book 1 should like to buy but cannot. l put
its net price down rs saved. The same with
other things; concert and theater tickets,
trips to the continent or Scotland all the ex-
penses l cannot afford go under the head OF
''money saved" 1t is astonishing what can
be done in this way. l saved G200 last year.
Saving with delights but no sorrows. Saving
with u thrill of virtue and no self-denialI
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