The Washington herald., 1914-09-02
Frugality.
By EAIoRY0. HAYNES.

The careful expenditure Of ones dollar is always
in order. This is eomnendable, while boarding is
not. The close scrutiny of outgo is, no doubt at
all times proper in a well ordered life There are
scores of small indulgences, proper enough ordi-
narily that should be denied. The man who has
not spent his last dollar today is in better shape to
meet tomorrow than he who is down to bare de-
pendence on tomorrow
surplus is always possible by cutting down the
outgo. Though it might seAn impossible, it really
is never quite So II we have been eating whole
loaf, and il seemed none too much, yet we could,
on pinch, get on with half loaf
very wealthy man. said to me, "AI my life
had practiced frugalty, often ip extreme. When
fortune came / threw the reins over the dashboard
just one year. allowed my household expenses
to go unchallenged. We spent SIooooo that year.
Then took up the reins again. We are actually
happier in our old-time frugal habitudes than we
were that year And l am we are in every
way more natural family"
Squandering can never be real pleasure in the
rational mind. The occasional thought that if one
need never count pennies" is not rational, to be
free from the need of jotting down small items of
personal expense is quite reasonable ambition. Yet
postage stamps in private correspondence, do cost
and one can hardly be said to be monarch of his
personal kingdom if he never considers the cost
of even the small item of postage 1t is the self
knowledge that is the pleasing consciousness The
hazy, undesignated mass of petty expenditures can
hardly be called self-possessed The practice grows
like rust ones polished steel. Till very large
per cent of mans earnings just slip away from
him. and he knows not where.
The tourist in Europe who got down to few
gold and silver pieces after a lifetime of blind
spending, now knows how far frugal dollar can
go Infinite possibilities seenPto develop from "the
bottom dollar. 1t can carry brace of friends and
with astounding elasticity one lone last dollar keeps
dividing and dividing to crutch them all along. The
prayerfu trust with which the man who holds the
bag keeps dipping out pennies is almost religious
And when the exigency is there has been
learned lesson in dynamics that is not written in
any textbook OF mechanics
The very profusion of new continent has
made it almost impossible for the American people
to learn :rugality Riches have sprung out Of the
ground. All metals and minerals all harvests all
the development of free manufacture have combined
TO stimulate profigacy. Few, indeed, are the young
people OF this republic who as frugal as they
should be. The very afectionate atmosphere of the
American home life is indulgent to the children
Attempts to enforce economy are often misun-
derstood 1t is easy to both think and charge stng
ness on parent whose only purpose as the sane
desire teach his children the careful use of money
The child should be Just and reasonable. He ought
to be able to the why. He himself will
grow up al the happier man if he gets the rule
Of frugality into his mental machinery.
1t may be that these times Of war abroad will
do good as a nation if they induce US to be
more frugal in personal expenses