The Washington times., 1894-03-27
{ IN THE SPRING:
A YOUNG MANS FANCY.

After Easter there are always a great many
voupy people either thinking of matrimony
, or about to get married. That is perfectly
natural and right
Everything is so fresh and beautiful, and 1t
is not to be wondered at at all that those who
have learned to love want to live together and
have a home of their own.
Young people do not think as much about
the housekeeping as was once the fashion,
but. girls, let me tell you there is nothing like
going to housekeeping right away after the
ceremony. Half the money spent on we'd
ding journey could be much better and often
more satisfactorily spent in buying pretty and
useful things for the little house.
OF course very few people get married
without at least getting little moneyln hand
first TO start on. A young man VINO saves
anything on small salary has to be self-de-
nying and have level head. L cannot see
any reason why Marie and Herbert cannot
talk over these things beforehand and lay
some plans TO make a little go a great way,
but every reason why they should.
home with all that the word implies
should be the object OF every marriage. and
10 make a home it takes two, man and
woman. with mutual affection and desire
for each TO do their half Two halves make
whole. even in home. Don't forget that.
1t is a close cooperative association, and
everything between the two should be open
and plain as the day. Then there will be no
excuse for extravaganza on either side CT the
house.
People usually think it a good thing to buy
a house on the installment plan. am one of
those, and if the Young husband can make
first payment on the place. then the other
nd ii-.a rant a nfaR
Notwithstanding water rates, gas bills and
taxes twice year the young people doing
that are learning one of the first lessons of
successful living; that is. learning to save
certain amount each week or month, to plan
their expenses according to their income.
Now if they can do it for one thing, they can
still pursue this advantage for another.
Certain things should always be paid for in
cash. These are clothes and food, but if
ones income is large enough to permit Of it,
furniture to furnish the house can be bought
on the equitable credit system. That does
not mean 10 go and bargain for whatever
NAV please the fancy. simply to go and select
such furniture as is needed TO make the little
home comfortable, cozy and neat, and there
stop until you can pay as you 60, ltis better
not to Increase debts even with safe margin
that one does not need to.
One thought about the little home carried
on on the economical plan 1t will hold Just
homes in the west end. and l do not wish to
hurt anybody's feelings when l say that it
generally holds more. There is likely to be
less pride and ambition Of a worldly kind in
the little house where people have to live
snug and close than in the fine one. where
people are constantly striving to keep up at
the fast pace OF their neighbors, no matter at
what cost of happiness.
1t is shiftless TO live without planning for
the future and working up TO it. Some peo-
pie ought not to risk anything. They are the
kind who content themselves with rented
home and hand-to-hand existence all their
lives. If their income increases. they increase
their expenses, and are just as .'hard up as
when they had less; and after years of that
kind of thing they or their children are
bound to become dependent upon more thrifty
relatives.
Now the way to present that state of
affairs is to begin at once after marriage to
have plan and live up TO it. Two families
may start with exactly the same advantages
as TO income and reach two very different
stages of life. say ten years after. One will
have saved and have home of their own all
paid for; the other will apparently have had
more shCwy place. but they will not own it,
and Just as likely as not be handicapped for
life for having acquired the habit of living
up to their income before it has come in.
Some people fall into misfortune and have
TO make debts. That is not their fault. and
for such persons we have only sympathy to
offer. Now if you really have made up
your mind to get married this Spring. you
will find many places well supplied with
everything nice and comfortable, and very
reasonable as TO price, all, too, on the eaui-
table credit system.
Don't begin housekeeping with all bare
floors when such pretty mattings can be had
at very low rates: and as for Dishes pretty
ones are just as cheap as the other kind if
you exercise taste in selection. Remember the
size of your income and what you calculate
you can afford. You can go ahead. furnish a
nice little home and have its furnishings paid
for without feeling it as burden.
Let me tell you secret. If you can save
regularly to pay on a home or on furnishings
until they are paid for you will have estab-
lished habit of thrifty calculation worth be-
ing proud Of, and you can go right on laying
by little for rainy day, which comes to US
all sooner or later.
Life is not all sunshine. but to so manage
ones affairs as to come out even is to be ready
for whatever comes and far on the road to
prosperity.