The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-08-10

ana always VIII win OUT. III Wasn
long before | was able 10 get an in
lercst IN the business, and after awhile
we moved over on the sunny side OF
Easy street Now our children are
grown and married and settled and so
a year or two ago ! turned the busl-
ness over to the bows and ! said to
mother that after this we would Just
put in the balance Of our lives enjoy
ing ourselves and taking the trips and
doiR 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 thclr placid, coniented
faces that beamed with that surety OF
well being that only the possession OF
a safety deposit Aault full OF gilt edged
securities can give, thought to myself,
surely, after all, virtue is IT'S own re
ward, and IT YOU want to be happy and
comfortable when you are old YOU must
practice thrift when You are young
And my mind would 60 back to
other couples that knew at home
people about the same age as these.
One couple that | knew very well had
started lie on the same capital OF moth
ing but love and health and youth Hut
the man always worked with one. eye
on the clock and settled determine
/ ton that he was not gong to do one
/ lick more than he was paid for, and
| his wife led him out OF paper bags ana
/ bought ,hoddy ready made clothes tor
/ the family because she couldn't see any
sense in woman savlng herself 70
death ,oycr the cook stove and sewing
machine
"And theS 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 install
mcnt furniture man They are shaving
around the sixties, and they are old and
worn and broken and the only trips
/ they will ever take will he io the poor
house and IN a cheap hearse to cheap
cemetery
And thought OF another couple
abou, the age of these middle aged Joy
trlppers who started out in matrmony
with a nice, comfortable little iortun'.
1t was one OF those demoraliing wads
oi money that are Just enough to make
a man feel that he doesn't have to work
unless he wants to, and that are not big
enough to be waste proof. Honest to
goodness, the best luck young fellow
can have is either to have a billion
dollars or not a penny.
well, at any rate, this young couple
let their money make them lazy and ex'
tavagant the man trusted his business
affairs to his subordlnates and let hi
employees rob and waste, and his wilt
got bitten with the society bug ant
became a reckless spender trying t
keep up with people ten times ~ riel
Is she was And the result was that b
the time they were middle-aged IN
} sheriff sold them out, and now they ar
the most forlorn and miserable olt
people YOU ever saw,
For there is nothing else on eartl
so pathetic as impoverished old age
old age without the comforts II needs
old age without hope OF any good for
tun, ever coming 10 1t, old age that II
forced to eat the bitter bread OF de-
pendence, and take grudsing charity
"l thought Of these piteous old cou
pies that | know, the ones who hac
wasted and spent, and idled and iriv
oiled IN their youth. and ! contraste(
them with these other middle aged cou
pies who had worked and saved in thei
youth and who are now 30 happy ant
prosperous, and ! thought what les
son in thrift
And ! thought that practically III
, offers US a choice OF whether We vii
indulge ourselves IN our youth or /,
. our old age whether we'd rather hav
, an easy Job when We are in our TWEEN
I. ties or be able to retire from buslnes
3 when We are IN our sixties, whethe
. we'd rather 20 to all sorts OF liul
. foolish shows and parties when We al
= young or to go around the world whe
, We are middle aged
. "One thing IL certain, wo can't e,
= our cake when we are young and stl
have 1t when we are old II we spen
. every cent as We go along no mifac
= makes II grow into a competence Il
. our old age And age comes It's Il
> one certain thing in an uncertain worl
? and It is up to every young couple vi
arc starting out IN lie to decide /,
. themselves whether it is 10 be lat a.
. comfortable or lean and hungry
"Ot course II seems that no ono b
> fool could fail to realize the wiSdo
|. OF practicing thrift In their youth
. order to be happy when they are oI
. Youth is such JOY OF itself that
. needs no guiding When ones figure
lissome and willowy, and ones chez
y are roses, and ones eyes are damon,
. one doesn't need fine clothes TO set
ones beauty, but when one is old a
= gray headed and fat, one needs all al
= and articles OF the best tailor a
dressmaker When the blood rae
. through ones veins, and jus, living
? a delight IN itself, one needs nothing
add to the interests OF existence.
. when one grows old one needs ira,
and change, new sights, new pcur
1 new ideas TO stimulate ones thoughts
|. That IL why wished that eve
young married couple could see
= gray headed old globe tro,tcrs, "
|. we're having such good time collie
. ing dividends ON the thrift they h
|. prsctced in their youth 1t might 'ti
= ulate them to 60 and do likewise
!: .AoA A-t