St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-06-20
The HOarding Habit.

Is there woman who can "cross her
heart" as the children say, and affirm
that her makeup is wholly free from
any streak of miserliness? What is the
meaning, then, of those bundles upon
bundles of things stored away in the
garnet, and of the evidences of this I'M
lovely trait revealed by the button bag !?
We call it provision, thrift, economy
anything but that which Acknowledges
kinship with any one so detestable as "a
person given to saving and boarding I'M
duly" But better name is the hoard
ing habit-a habit which, on the surface,
seems housewifely and judicious, but at
the last analysis is often a selfish and
unwise economy.
For instance, young girl owned fine
ulster, which she had outgrown. She
looked around to find worthy poor
child to whom she could give it. This
ulster had beautiful buttons, which its
prudent owner at first decided to replace
by less expensive ones, thinking a time
might come when she could use them.
She haggled with her conscience before
she came to a conclusion. "They will
surely come in some day." said the hoard
ing habit; take them off" While con-
science said, you are giving this to a
young girl, who, though poor, no doubt
enjoys pretty buttons as much as you do
You have had them two years already.
Why be selfish and deprive the other girl
OF what may be keen pleasure?
Five years have since passed and there
has not been a time when she would
have used the buttons had the boarding
habit conquered.
This may seem very small matter.
Few of us, however, have the opportun.
ity for anything bigger than petty self.
sacrifice, thought for others and cheerful
giving. Aside from this aspect OF the
question, is there real economy in saving
every odd and end for some doubtful con-
tingency Without question there are
some things we ought to save, buttons
of garments fit for the rag bag, old mus
lin, linen-but what OF those old coats
and trousers, those dresses, that broken
chair which might some day be useful
Those trimmings off hats-how often it
would be kinder and truer economy to
give to some poor person the well-trim-
med hat than to denude it and throw it,
an unsightly spectacle, on the ash heap
There, too, is that box of old ribbons,
which would delight the heart of any
child. Magazines accumulate so rapidly,
yet we hoard them, thinking that we
may bind them some time, and the years
pass while they grow yellow and mouse
eaten and the hospitals and prisons are
crying out for reading matter.
Among the possessions of the sacred
past much is saved from mere habit. We
have had them so long that we have not
the heart to destroy them even long long
after all deeper. sweeter feelings have
faded into ghostly proportions. Even
the tokens of deathless remembrance
may sometimes fall under callous eyes,
into careless hands, so would it not be
more becoming for us to bury the dead
past than to leave it to the unloving?
Time spent in overhauling our hoard.
ings spring and autumn is no small item
in the argument against laidup treasures.
Not only is time money, but space, too,
is precious-microbes many. The poor
we have always with us. Can we afford
the boarding habit ?-[ ANNA HAMLIN
WIKEL in the Congregationalist.