The herald., 1895-07-08
AMERICAN EXTRAV.
AGANCE VERSUS EUROPEAN
ECONOMY

The American thinks it fine thing t.
he pound foolish, mean thing TO M
penny wise. He lacks patience nlso; he
loses courage over any plan or schcme
that requires years to perfect. suca\ as
mapping out his life and saying. II am
now grown and educated; in five years
will do this, in five more that in ten
more something else" as the European
does. He 1oes not say, "In ten years
shall have paid all my fathers debts; |
have laid by for my wife and children
five, ten. twenty, fifty, hundred thous
and dollars shall have bought this or that
place for myself, this or that place for my
son. ~
The Americans mind is so full OF large
to regard them as probabilities and to
scorn the day of small things. the patient
processes and careful economies by which
important results are more often achieved
than in any other way. Every American
expects to succeed svery European looks
in the race of life. He handicaps nini.
self--he will give so much time. youth,
money to win such and such result. He
will not marry to young or toolishly.
knowing that uin a dieux is all that
awaits him. He takes long views and
chance Or accident unlike the American.
who is always waiiing. Micawber-w Use,
for the splendid chance that is to make
his fortune. the something to turn up''
that is to revolutionize all his future, the
turn in the tide that is to lead on to VIC
tory-though as often as not it strands
him oh tho beach of adveIsity, old age
and failure.
But this not doctrine that finds favor
with our people; not bit of it. Mrs.
Jones. who has twelve hundred year,
must dress like Mrs. Brown, who has q
hundred thousand. Mrs. Brown goes to
the seaside and stops at an expensive
hotel. therefore Mrs. Jones makes her
husbands life burden to him until he
takes rooms for her on the same floor of
the very same house. Outside Of New
England and the south it is refreshing
rarity to meet any human being who
gives rs the only true, bona fide reason
for not doing anything. 81 can't afford
it,. with no sort of false shame or false
humility.
The people with mutton broth pockets
and turtle soup tastes" who spent their
tatoes with all their might und Insisting
upon being large golden pumpkins with
all their soul, exist everywhere. of course,
but they are as plentiful as blackbcrries
with us and growing more numerous
every day. Milionaircs set the pnca ana
all the frogs begin forthwith to coavert
themselves into oxen, and be. ~ they call
it. swells, though many OF them burst
in the effort. so great are their social sen-
sitiveness, their determination 10 keep up
with the procession, their horror Of not
being ''supposed to be in or able to keep
up with this orss that set" their intense
social uneasincss and ambition. A per.
pctual braying of brass bands and burn.
Ing of lime lights is their idea of society.
They forget Lowells delightful aphorism.
that good society would be charming ii it
deserved either the noun or the adjective.
1 do not say expenditure. Rich Euro.
peans put as much money, and more,
than we do in ccYtaip thlngs-pictures.
books, curios, antiques, stained glass,
thoroughbred horses Painpsred menials,
wines. collections Of all sorts, establish.
ments and great houses. The show
places the great libraries. the winners Of
the Derby and tho Prix de Paris, the
armies OF powdered flunkics the galleries
OF paintings and statuary, the cellars Of
fine wines, the collections OF fans, laces,
old books, ola shoes ola silver, old coins:
boxes. pipes, seaveed, butterflies. drink
irs fagons costumes of all times and na.
tions- all these ihow that the European il
not niggardiy. but spends his money
with liberality and Intelligence. And
some American, do the same--an ever
increasing number OF them. in fact. But,
as rule, the American wastes as much
as he spends wisely, and the European
never does tbs. He understands exactly
now each soy sho4Id 60 in order to gss
out of every tr.anctts utmost value. Ho
will be; app,rtioH his income or salary
with the incest ore. graduating his scala
OF expenditure WITH the wisdom horn of
a thousand year, experience Of life IN an
overpopulated ciuntry; SO much for rent
taxes. food, drds, accidentals journeys
lishment of ch iiren, the i'm provemeot Nv
repairs of proHrty all in due proportion.
-Lippincott'I
Kregelo & Pretee, funeral directors.
Broadway and Sifh street. Tel. a4s.