Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-12
AMERICAN ExTRGvAGANCE.
How UnfavorabIy 1t Contrasts with the
Prudcnt Economy of Europeans.

AMERICAN ExTREVAGANCE.
How UnfavorabIy 1t Contrasts with the
| Prudent Economy of Europeans.
The American thinks il a fine thing
to be pound foolish, a mean thing to
be pennywise. He lacks patience also;
he loses courage over any plan or
scheme tn at requires years to perfect,
such as mapping out his life and say
ing: Il 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 does not say:
'In ten years shall have paid all my
fathers debts; ! shall then marry; in
ten more / shall have laid by for my
wife and children five, ten, fifty, a hun
| dred thousand dollars, shall have
bought this or that place for myself,
this or that business for my SON" The
Americans mind is so full of large and
splendid possibilities that he comes to
regard them as probabilities and to
scorn the day of small things, the pa
tient process and careful economics By
which important results are more
often achieved than in any other way.
every European looks to it that he shall
not fail ignominiously in the race of life.
He handicdps himself he will give SO
much time, youth, money, to accom-
plish such and such result. He will not
marry too young or foolishly, knowing
that ruin deux is all that awaits him.
He takes long views and makes careful
plans, not leaving much to chance or
accident, unlike the American, who is
always waiting Micawber-wise 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 victory-though as often as not IL
strands him on the beach of adversely,
old age and failure.
But this is not doctrine that finds
favor with our people; not bit of it.
Mrs Jones, who has twelve hun
dred q year, must dress like Mrs
Brown. who has a hundred thousand.
Mrs. Brown goes to the seaside and
stops at an expensive hotel, therefore
Mrs. Jones makes her husbands life
burden 10 him until he takes rooms for
house Outside of New England and
the south il is refreshing rarity to
meet any human being who gives as
the only true, bona fide reason for not
doing anything: Il can't afford it,"
with no sort of false shame or false hu-
mility.
The people with mutton broth
pockets and turtle soup tastes" who
spend their lives in refusing to be
small peas or potatoes with all their
might, and insisting upon being large
golden pumpkins with all their soul,
exist everywhere, of course, but they
are as plentiful as blackberries with
us, and growing more numerous every
day. Millionaires set the pace, and all
the frogs begin forthwith to convert
themselves into oxen, and be, as they
call it, ''swells," though many of them
burst in the effort, so great are their
social sensitiveness, their determina-
tion to keep up with the procession,
their horror Of not being supposed to
be in or able TO keep up with this or
that set, their intense social uneasi.
ness and ambition. perpetual bray
ing of brass bands and burning of
lime lights is their idea of society
They forget Lowell's delightful aphor-
ism that Good society would be
charming II it deserved either the
noun or the adjective"
l do not say expenditure. Rich
Europeans put as much money and
more than we do In certain things
pictures, books, curios, antiques,
stained glass, thoroughbred horses.
pampered menials, wines, collections"
of all sorts, establishments, and great
houses. The show places, the great
libraries, the winners of the derby and
the Prix de Paris, the armies of
powdered funkies, the galleries of
paintings and statuary, the cellars of
fine wines, the collections of fans,
laces, old books, old shoes, old silver,
old coins, old armor, musical instru-
ments, snuff boxes, pipes, sea weed,
butterflies, drinking fiagons, costumes
of all times and nations-all these
show that the European is not mig
gardly, but spends his money with lib
erality and intelligence. And some
Americans do the samoan ever
increasing NUMBER OF them, In fact
But, as rule, the American wastes as
much as he spends wisely. and the
European never does this He under
stands exactly how each sou should go,
In order to get out of every franc its
utmost value. He.accurately calculates
what his expenses will be; apportions
his income or salary with the incest
care, graduating his scale of expendi-
ture with the wisdom born of a thou
sand years experience OF life in an
overpopulated country; so much for
rent, taxes, food, dress, accidentals,
Journeys, doctors bills, the education
and establishment of children, the i'm
provement or repairs of property, all
in due proportion.-Lippincott's.
Strong Defense