The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-04-08
THE BORROWING HABIT.
Never Contracted by SeIf-RespectinE
Housewives.


Housewives.
In the days of Shakespeare as well as
now, the loan oft loses both itself and
friend" There is probably no small
matter that causes so much annoyance
and actual money loss as the habit of
borrowing petty household supplies,
which the borrower often judges are too
small to be returned. 1t is a few spoon
fuls of tea at one time a little butter at
smother, and the sum total in a short
period may be altogether too large for
the lender to give away. There is but
1ne way to treat such borrowers who
never pay, and that is to borrow the
same amount of the same article until
the proper equivalent has been made.
This is considerable trouble, but it is the
only way to render justice to ones self.
1t is also d delicate hint which the most
obdurate borrower is likely to profit
by. 1t may lose the friend, but it saves
the loan.
There are great many people who,
like the foolish virgins of the parable,
Systematically fail to provide for emer-
gencies and expect to depend upon their
more proviGent neighbors. After nine
teen hundred years they are as typical
a class to-day as they were in old Judea.
There are the poor managers" the
women without faculty" who do not
hesitate to make their Stiffness an eX-
Cuse for their dependence, and appear to
be utterly oblivious of the inconyen-
fence they may occasion. Judicious
housekeepers make it a rule never to
borrow unless they are forced todo SO by
lenders that fail to remember their
debts. No servant should be allowed 10
borrow The most careless servant will
soon learn to keep list, and whatever
is needed can then be ordered at the
proper time.
No independent woman with any
dignity of character INDUCES in any
such pernicious habit as borrowing.
The borrowing of household utensils,
like preserving pots, baking tins and
similar articles, causes a great deal of
annoyance to lenders, who may lack the
moral courage to say no when they
would like to do so. The brass preserv-
Jag pot of old-fashioned times was an
expensive article which only few fam
lies in village could afford to own.
and a large number of households
formerly depended upon the kindness of
their Weather neighbors for the means
of preparing their winters supply OF
preserved fruit. In return they often
gave assistance to lenders in preserving
time. \ large, porcelain-lined pot suit
able for preserving may now be pur-
chased for 81, and no family need de-
pend upon neighbors. Yet to-day the
borrowing of preserving pans is almost
as common as in those olden DAYS. and
no equivalent is ever given, because the
preserving pot is no longer costly,
though the inconvenience of lending it
may be as great as before, and the in
jury done to it likely to be more lasting.
The old brass pot was literally indie
structible, but the new pots are easily
injured.
The lender of household articles must
submit to much petty annoyance and
to much loss. If she does not submit
with smiles to all eXactions made upon
her she is likely to be condemned as
disobliging and mean. 1t requires more
tirmness than the average woman pos
sesses to refuse.--N. Y. Tribune.