Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-08-20
DIVIDENDS ON THRIFT
BY DOROTHY OK
The Worries Highest Paid Woman
Writer

n WOMAN who has Just returned
~ from q long journey to the Far
~ East said 20 me the other day:
DO you know what 10 almost the
Strontest impression made on me by
my whole trip? IL 10 homely lesson
In thr1ft, and did not get II from the
frugal orientals. but from my own
country people.
Everywhere ! met Americana
summing themselves in the warmth OF
Southern California, splashing around
in the jeweled waters at Honolulu,
drinking tea and gossiping with trav.
slers from the Back Of Beyond In the
Grand Hotel Of Yokohama, pOkfng
around the curio shops in Picking
and threefourths Of these Americans,
yes, nine-tenths OF them who were
travelling for pleasure, were fat, gray
headed, prosperous, middle-aged cou-
pies.
Occasionally there was q young
son or daughter along but not often.
Most of them were Just oldish married
folks who In their late fifties or
early sixties were taking the honey
moon trip that they had been too poor
to- take 35 years before.
II talked to dozens Of these couples
and always they told me practically
the same story.
Mother and ] were married when
We were very young and hadn't .
split Canadian dime between rs, the
man would say, with q reminiscent
chuckle, but we both had plenty OF
pep and ginger, and we rolled up our
sleeves and went to work. ! tell you
Il was skinny living and hard hust-
ling In those. days. a.. i
" Z was at the store before Z o'clock
every morning and ] stayed in 1t until
II o'clock ct night, and mother was
up an hour before me and gave me .
hot breakfast that she had cooked
with her own hands, and when ]
went to sleep she was patching my
trousers or washing my shirt 90 that
could look neat and respectable
% 90 to work the next day. And we
counted the pennies and pinched ey-
cry dollar until We made the eagle
scream in agony and about the only
amusement we INDUCED ourselves in
was watching the little savings bank
account grow.
That policy Of work and saving
won out then as It always has won
out and always viii win out. II wasn't
long beore was able to get an In
terest IN the business, and after
while we moved over on the sunny
side OF easy street. Now our chill
dren are grown and married and set.
tied, and 90 q year ago or two ]
turned the business over 70 the boys
and said to mother that after this |
We would Just put IN the balance OF
our lives enjoying ourselves and TAX |
ing the trips and doing the things |
We didn't have the time nor the |
money to do when we were young.
And every time looked at these |
couples with their placid, contented
faces that beamed with that surety |
Of well being that only the posses
sion OF safety deposit vault full
Of gilt-edeged securities can give,
thought to myself, surely, after all,
virture IL It's own reward, and II |
you want 20 be happy and comfor- |
table when you are old you must |
practise thrift when you are young.
And my mind would 90 hack to
other couples that ] knew ct home
people about the same age as these.
One couple that knew very well had |
started life on the same capital Of |
nothing but love and health and youth.
But the man always worked with one
eye on the clock and settled de-
termination that he was not going to
do one lick more that he was paid for.
and his wife had fed him out Of paper
bags and bought shoddy ready-made
clothes for the family because she
couldn't zee any sense IN woman
elaying herself 70 death over the cook
store and sewing machine.
And they have never. IN all the
years since they have been married,
been quite even with the landlord or
the butcher Or the grocer or the In.