But “neither a borrower nor a lender be”—which is another way of saying that I O U’s are to be avoided. When the money is repaid, the I O U, of course, is returned to the person who gave it. In cases where money is received in payment of an account, and the acknowledgment is put on the account itself, the account is “discharged,” as it is called, in any one of the following ways. The person to whom the account is due writes on it her own name, and, preceding her name, the words, “_Paid_,” “_Received Payment_,” “_Received_,” or “_Discharged_,” or—if such be the case—“_Same time paid_,” or “_Paid by cheque_.” Or this form may be used. Suppose the amount to be £25 10s. and the discount five per cent. _21st September,_ _By cash_ £24.4.6 ” _Discount,_ 5% 1.5.6 ------£25.10.0 MARION FEATLY. Should you be receiving payment for somebody else, you sign as you would a letter in similar circumstances. Thus:— _Same time paid, for MARGARET BELL, ELLEN CHAPMAN._ or, _Paid by cheque, MARY G. GROVE, per INA MEADOWS._ Some polite people, in discharging accounts write “_with thanks_” in the left-hand bottom corner or under their signature. In the case of tradespeople, it is a courteous phrase that sometimes goes a long way towards securing another order. Receipts of all kinds should be kept for at least six years. After that time you may either continue to keep them or make a bonfire of them. The reason for your being then free to please yourself is that actions for unclaimed debt arising out of a simple contract are limited to six years _from the date of the cause of action_. After six years you are safe against being called on to pay the money a second time. Bills are occasionally rendered a second time after being paid, not the least, perhaps, from an intention to defraud, but simply from carelessness. People omit to enter the money they receive in their books, and forget they have got it; and to keep all receipts is a way of protecting oneself against such a happy-go-lucky style of doing things. Receipts should be folded in the same way as letters, and marked on the outside with all necessary particulars. Thus:— _12th August, 1886. Griffin and Constable, Manchester. Washing Machine_ £3 15s. If you have a set of pigeon-holes, receipts should have a pigeon-hole all to themselves; if not, keep them tied up in a bundle and arranged in alphabetical order. When you have to make out accounts always do it as neatly as possible. A neat account has a well-to-do air, and may do as much good to one’s credit sometimes as a handsome balance at the bank. Hard-up people are seldom neat either in accounts, or correspondence, or anything else.