Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-08-06
The Charm Of Thrift.

Doctor johnson, who was one
oil the wisest Of men, always
advised his friends to marry
well-to-do women, because they,
and they only, knew the true
value of an income. "a woman
of fortune he was wont to say,
"being used to the handling OF
money, spends it judiclously. But
a woman who gets the command
of money for the first time, on
her marriage, has such a gust
in spending it that she throws 1t
away with great profusion."
This gust in spending, or rather
this profound distaste for econo-
nv as an ugly and irksome
thing, characterizes American
women of all classes ; but 1t
works most havoc in families
whose incomes are large enough
for suficiency and security
those twin blessings of life but
not for a prodigality that is
equally stupid and unjustified.
Economy, as understood. as un-
derstood and as practiced by
nations, is not irksome. 1t is a
part of the game of life, a linn
tation accepted in good faith,
and managed with such dexteri-
ty that, although it may rub now
and then, it seldom pinches hard.
A year or two a writer in the
Atlantic Monthly gave a vivid
and sympathetic sketch of a
French middle-class household,
with it's ABSURD comfort, its touch
of elegance, it's carefully bal
anced expenditures. The picture
was as accurate as it was pleas
ing. A French woman takes /
just pride in making every penny
of her money bring its fail
equivalent, and she knows tha'
her family keenly appreciate thu
results of her excellent manage
ment. She goes to market. The
chokes are big and green ant
beautifully fresh. Her HUSBAND
likes artichokes. Very well,
then, there must be no salad ant
no cherries. A,tichokes repre-
sent that days extravaganza,
and the rest of her marketing
deals with the n%ecessaries of life.
1t no more occurs to her to buy
both the artichokes and the salad
than it occurs to her to be sorry
for herself because she cannot
do so. Her good dinner repre-.
sents heights achieved and diff.
culties overcome. She has sense
enough to relish the situation,
Does an Alpine climber want tt
be carried in a Sedan chair
What charm. after all, e%ncircles
the mountain but the supreme
sense of triumph?
In this land of plenty, economy
is ill under stood and distasteful,
Housekeepers ignore it, servants
despise it. A Boston womar
whose daughter had lived for twt
years in Italy, lamented whimsi
cally that the girl could no longer
be permitted to run the house al
"She did fairly well before sh'
went away" sighed the amused
parent, but now she asks TIL
cook what has become of tn
other half of the onion, and thu
cook gets up and goes"
In Italy, where everything cal
be purchased in small quantities
half an onion looms large on the
horizon. If a customer chances
to want one egg, she buys one
egg. No dealer looks askanc'
at her because she does not buy
a dozen. If she wants a pat o
fresh butter and a tiny flask o
cream, she buys them for a few
cents, and has the comfort o
knowing that both are superla
lively good. Italians are NOR
intolerant of stale eggs than W
dare to be, and they abhor tn,
sailed buttur that we contented
ly consume. But no food il
wasted, and no one consider
wasting as a privilege. You sci
dom hear economy preached il
France or Italy or Spain ; in
stead it is universally practiced
"TO What Base Uses"