“And I chide her often, For I know I must. But I do it always Bowed down to the dust, With a face all crimsoned With a burning blush, And an inward whisper That I cannot hush. “And sometimes it seemeth Like the voice of God, And it says, ‘Poor coward, Using now the rod On a child’s frail body, Till I hear it moan, And see its soft flesh quiver For a sin thine own.’ “O my Father, pity, Pity and forgive; Slay the little foxes I allowed to live Till they left the larger For the smaller vine, Till they touched the dear life, Dearer far than mine. “O my Father, hear me, Make my darling thine, Though I am so human, Make her all divine! Slay the little foxes, That both vines may be Laden with fruit worthy To be offered thee!” LXXXIII. WASTE NOT--WANT NOT. MANY, particularly among the young, associate economy and frugality with meanness, ungenerousness, and a churlish, disobliging disposition. “There would be no pleasure or comfort in living,” said a young lady, when a friend was endeavoring to show her the desirableness of “counting cost,” before entering upon any extravagant expenditures,--“there would be no comfort in living, if I must stop and consider the price,--adding up at every step, and deliberating upon the sum total before I dared to make a purchase; to say every minute, ‘Can I afford this?’ or, ‘Can I manage to do without that?’ To compel myself to study how I could alter over an old garment, how to change the trimmings so as to hide such piecing as must be done, before I could bring the article into usable shape, and at the same time preserve a genteel appearance; to pick up pins and needles, buttons and strings, keeping before my mind all the time the idea of economy and saving, in everything, small as well as great! Pshaw! I should feel so mean. I should despise myself, and think all my acquaintances would despise me also. I’d sooner spend what I have in a free-and-easy manner, taking what pleasure I could in it, as long as it lasted, and, when all was gone, go to the poorhouse or die! I do really think so.” A change of cars took them away, and we do not know what reply was made to this speech; but from it we thought one could, without uncharitableness, form a pretty correct estimate of the speaker’s character and probable future. She may not end in the poorhouse, though that would not be the most unlikely thing that could happen; but if she marries, the heart of her husband cannot safely trust in her, and her children will not rise up and call her blessed. Waste and extravagance go hand in hand, and happiness and comfort do not walk with them. Those whom they beguile become selfish, seeking their own gratification, regardless of the interests of others.