SAVING AND CONSERVING "A penny saved is a penny earned." "A stitch in time saves nine." "You never miss the water till the well runs dry." "A small leak will sink a great ship." When Esther asked the meaning of the word thrifty, her teacher replied: "It means being industrious in whatever you undertake, wasting neither time, money, nor materials. The really thrifty persons are those who waste nothing and spend wisely." This is a larger and much better idea of saving than most people have. Saving money, proper so far as it goes, is only the beginning of thrift. In the readings which follow we shall see that Esther's teacher was right. Every one of us should think of saving time and strength and should be careful of the materials with which he works. And we as a nation need to think of preserving as well as we can all of nature's gifts. Such bounties are given us to use wisely. Riches taken from our mines, from our forests, and from our farms can never be restored. Thoughtlessness and cruelty in destroying useful birds and useful animals may bring hardships upon us as a nation. Wastefulness leads to poverty; thrift leads to wealth. CHOOSE A BOOK 1. Clark, Graves Glenwood, Tiny Toilers and Their Works. Century. Stories of insects as farmers, paper-makers, home-keepers, cowherds, dressmakers, warriors, fishermen, weather prophets, jacks-of-all-trades, miners, factory workers. 2. Du Puy, William Atherton, Uncle Sam, Wonder Worker. Stokes. Story of the strange feats performed by our government in sowing forests, inventing new animals, growing pearls, destroying harmful animals, making new plants. 3. Du Chaillu, Paul B., The World of the Great Forest. Scribner. How animals, birds, reptiles, and insects think, talk, work, and live. 4. Dorrance, John Gordon, Story of the Forest. American. How trees live, grow, and die; how to know trees; how trees serve men; famous trees in history. 5. Eliot, George, Silas Marner. How a miser named Marner lost his money, but gained real riches when the little waif Eppie came to his home. 6. Fabre, Jean Henri, Field, Forest, and Farm. Century. How the earth yields its riches for the welfare of man; how men can help the earth and all its creatures to serve men better. 7. Hawkes, Clarence, Tenants of the Trees. L. C. Page & Co. How to win companionship with birds; the secrets of woodcraft for one who wants to be fair to birds and animals. 8. Keeler, Harriet L., Our Native Trees and How to Identify Them. Scribner. A tree lover tells how to know our native trees, enabling us to recognize our friends; more than 300 pictures. 9. Kipling, Rudyard, The Boy Scout Book. Abbott. An inspiring book by one who believes in boys and Boy Scouts. 10. Lord, Isabel Ely, Getting Your Money's Worth. Harcourt. Explains, for girls especially, how to select and how to buy; the advantages of a family budget; how to make it; how to effect savings and to use a bank. |