The Washington herald., 1909-02-14

From the NeE YORK Tribune.
There are people in this world, either
young, old, or middle aged, that are
blessed with great wealth and never BY
any chance open the doors OF happiness
to others with their golden keys. Their
love Of their Iucre is such that they can
not bring themselves to spend even one
cent in any way that appears to them
unnecessary.
With the very old this habit OF mind
can be and often IS interpreted as a
form Of forgetfulness. The tottering
millionaire is supposed 10 have long
since buried all knowledge Of the fact
that even every day pleasures are a
drain on q slender purse, and that many
Of his less fortunate relatives could be
made very happy by a small check,
with an accompanying command TO 60
and have a good time with the few dol
lars II stands for Such checks and
words OF cheery good viii are seldom
forthcoming, and when the man dies he
goes to the other world unmourned-
When q rich person is really ''Dorn
stingy," as the saying goes. II is hard
10 imagine g more disagreeable ac-
quaintance TO have any degree OF inti-
macy with. The stiaginess seems to have
entered every fiber OF his or her being
and to have brought with It a dlstrust
for all mankind IN course OF time this
excessive care as 10 cost extends 90 the
smallest item in the household expenses,
and everything possible is eliminated
from every department, even though an
outward show is maintained.
Blind for Public.
This By no means blinds the public.
for no fact becomes more quickly known
or Is more freely commented on than
stinginess scrimping without cause
makes those suffer from It furious, and
TO talk about It IS the form revenge gen
orally takes.
II anything can be more despicabls
than stingy man It IS stingy woman.
and her field OF operations is naturally
far wider. She can arrange her ways 50
as always 20 collect high toll for every
thing and never have 70 pay any for
the stingy woman is often IN q position
sufficiently high IN social circles 70 make
knowing her well worth while not 70
the climber only. but 70 all those n the
same set. and from all that come n her
path she expects some favor that saves
her both money and time. as vel as
much trouble.
Her methods OF repayment. Il she has
any at ali. are well worth watching.
Even her partial acknowledgment viii
have such a stout string tied 70 II that
the recipient OF her invitation Cthe ex-
@-,F- - F= E--
strongest card viii accept with the full
and somewhat wsighty knowledge that
before her hostess permits her 70 depart
she wiz be requested TO engineer an sf-
fair requiring much diplomacy, OF one
that VIII mean money saved even 4 L
be only the price Of a postage stamp. FOR
information conveyed BY word q mouth
instead OF BY mail
Never for one instant does ths sti1gy
woman lose sight OF the usefulness o.
others. and ar all times dsss she scheme
TO get the most out OF them, banking
her own energies until something comes
along that she alone can do Take her
away from her own home (and she al
ways visits the best people,, and see n
how many ways she evades that ul-
written law OF tips and how she man
ages to do without a maid. and has the
also how she maneuvers 10 travel in lux
ury at some one eIse's expense invari-
ably. for there is ever some foolish per
son who is uot only willing but anxious
TO treat the one that VII accept such
favors, especially II that ones social po-
s:tion IS assured and theirs is not fully
fedged-
The acquaintances OF q stingy woman
II she Is sufficiently rich. 60 not very
often discuss her openly as being "stin-
gy" Instead. she viii be spoken OF as
eccentric although the first epithet
is distinctly understood as being ths
proper term But go 20 her nearest and
dearest heirs-at-law, and there VIII you
find the term "stingy'' freely used and
thoroughly defined and qualified by va
rious adjectives-
Gives Cheap Presents.
Such presents as she gives and has
given all her life are OF the cheapest
description, OF else ara selected form
those she receives as things shs does not
want, and often stories are heard. wills
pered, It's true. OF how costly presents
sent her have been personally returned
to the shop whence they came. ex-
changed for less expensive article, and
Ine D61ance OF Lne cost paced 20 ner
credit for a future order. From such
transactions come such wedding presents
as she sends
In the middle aged the mania for saw
ing can often be put down as prudence.
governed by the desire to leave a goodly
inheritance 20 the children that are
growing. but when seen in the young i
is without any form Of excuse. The
young girl or man that win not give
pleasure TO others when he or she can
perfectly well afford Il Is a poor speci-
men. indeed, and the child that exhibits
such a trait cannot be too soon broken
Of IT,