The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1909-12-16
Dollars for Doughnuts.
Contributed

Contributed
Last Saturday night just before his
bed time my little son, II years old,
looked down at his shoes and observed
that they would need polishing before
going to Sunday-school and church on
Sunday morning. He requested me to
bring him a box OF shoe polish. | was
going down town for the mail, shave
and a shine, so | stopped at store and
obtained a box of ''Mason's Challenge
Backing" As looked at the picture of
the fleeing dog who had seen his shadow
il boot just polished by this splendid
polish it walked a train of reflections in
my memory. | recalled how i'm my child
hood and youth | used to get some SCOT
out of the chimney put few drops of
buttermilk in it and black my shoes; how
later | grubbed the roots of sassafras
and washed and dried them and peeled
off the bark, carried it to town and sold
it and bought my first box of '.Mason's
Challenge Backing" | was happy then.
The pictures I've tried to admire since in
the great art galleries of the cities caused
no such thrill Of JOY to me as did the fee
ing dog, the two boys and the shadow
in the boot. But Edison when he saw it,
showed an expression of sadness that
was akin to pain. He expected me to
bring him Whitmore's Two in One. But
really, he prefers to have his shoes shined
down town and sometimes does.
l think often Of my father who owned
farm of nearly 500 acres, and was al
ways free OF debt raising family of Z
children to manhood and womanhood
On what was raised on that farm by the
labor Of himself and children. and that
his store account was only about $3.50
a year, while that sum will not now pay
a months expense of an ordinary family
in town. And l am thinking how little
value money has to one who does not
earn it. Ny boys must have a hair cut
be cut once in three months BY my
them myself, but it looks little notch
edy and they and their mother look dis
satisfied at the job. and ''other boys
out two or three pairs of shoes each,
each winter and Sunday pair each sum-
mer. l generally had a new pair home
made just before Christmas, which lasted
me till warmer weather. l could hold
them down and make them do on sufi-
cheney, but my neighbors' children have
new clothes and shoes and my boys
pride augmented by their mothers, over
comes me quite, and away goes the
money.
am satisfied that the world needs to
call halt ii possible, and, as much as
possible, matters ought to be so ar
ranged that no one ought to be allowed
to spend money but the one who earns
it. Money represents labor, TOLL loss,
value. How can one who obtains it for
the asking know its value or what is q
fair equivalent for it in spending it? 1
am writing what every one knows and
is commonplace and trite-but so the
golden rule and the Ten Commandments
The wastefulness now going on in this
country, this State, this county. this
town, on Burwell Avenue, is developing
the next panic and the next long spell of
hard times, and the rate at which we
are going will not take long to get them
here. There is enough wasted in Vance
county each year to supply the needs of
all it's people. Enough is spent for pleas
ure each year tie supply all the actual
necessities. Enough is sent away each
year for articles that can be pur hased
here to supply all the needs of all our
people.
The President and the Governors and
Mr.. j. j. Hill talk and write about the
preservation of our natural resources;
but we are wasting those we create far
more rapidly. l am very proud as this
years festive season approaches, that
we have been able to make SO much
money. | am very proud also that the
attention of the people is turning to-
ward corn and wheat. But am so anx-
ious for little help from my neighbors
to keep from spending all and more mon
ey than | can make. Let's put little
stronger curb on ourselves and be lit
tie less extravagant in 1910. The ladies
must have as costly hats and furs and
the boys and l as nice clothes as other
people. Let's all put on the brakes to-
gether and thereby postpone 'hard
times and the ''rainy day" a little
longer If we don't they IL be here before
we know it, and we will be stopped
with a severe jolt.
T. T. KICKS.
December 13, 1909.