The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1918-04-04
Thrift.

The following essay on Thrift
won first prize offered by Mr.. l.. j.
Gaines for the best essay on this
subject:
TO be thrifty means to be indus
trious in whatever you undertake.
Waste nothing whether time, money
or materials. The really thrifty
persons are those who waste moth
ing and spend wisely.
One of our richest men has said:
Thrift is such a simple thing and
it means so much" 1t is the foun-
dation of success in business. OF
contentment in the home, and Of
standing in society. Perhaps it's
because thrift is such a simple
thing that many of us have such a
slight acquaintance with it. This
country is full of rich and wonder
full things and the boy and the girl,
long before they are out Of grammar
school, set their hearts on attaining
some of these wonders as quickly as
possible. They overlook the simple
habits, not realizing that the world 8
treasures are obtained only by those
who have first mastered the art OF
simple living.
The secret of simple living is
thrift-thrift of time, money, body
and brain-and only upon this can
the boy or the girl build securely for
success. But in this, as in other
things, young people must be in
structed, for both the man who piles
up his thousands and the man who
wantonly wastes his dollars are only
creatures of habit.
Those who are to succeed are
those who have the habit of thrift.
The boy who, when he is fifteen
years of age, knows how to make
his suits and his shoes last as long
as possible, who wastes neither his
study-time nor his play-time, who
already has a bank account, how
ever small, is sure to succeed. He
may not make a fortune in dollars
and cents, but he will be independ
ent and a credit to the community
in which he lives.
To many people the word thrift
suggests only the saving OF money,
and those who are not earners feel
that it is not for them to make
thrift their motto. But the moth
er in the home who so plans her
meals that her family gets the max
imum of nourishment for the least
expenditure of money and without
any waste is as truly thrifty as the
woman who works for wages and
each month adds to her bank ac-
count SO also the boy or the girl
who wastes no opportunities and
guards carefully the health of the
body is forming habits of thrift that
will last and will mean happiness
and prosperity in the future. Child
rem are quick to see the folly of
waste once it is pointed out to them,
and no child should go untaught IN
this important matter.
The tide of popular opinion for
vocational training is running strong
and is, perhaps, the greatest single
thrift factor now in operation.
Training for a life-work means pre-
venting boys and girls from wasting
their lives. but even a well-trained
brain and body may take a boy to
failure if he has not also learre !.
how to spend wisely and how to
save. The slogan of this country
in the future must be Conservation
of all our resources" but not until
each grammar-school gradu at e
knows how to practice true thrift
will the highest prosperity of the
country be assured.
The parents and teachers of today
have an unusual opportunity to train
for efficiency the men and women
of tomorrow.
ELIZABETH MCDONALD.