When viewed with regard to our life as a complete unity, economy, or right administration, should be zealously practised in three special ways, namely, economy of money, economy of time, and economy of forces or strength, and these last two are touched upon indirectly in the lines chosen for the heading of this address.
Let us begin with economy of money. Many persons, both young and old, learn the sad necessity for this by hard experience, and by such my advice is not required. It is to you, the happy daughters of prosperous parents, that I should like more particularly to say a few words on this subject.
There are so many reasons why we should all practise economy of money, or, in other words, try to administer our money aright. Firstly, it trains us in habits of order and reflection if we try to lay out our money to the best use instead of squandering it on worthless trifles which serve only for the pleasure or amusement of the moment.
Secondly, it sets a good example to those around us and helps to remind them of the fact that money like other talents is given to us to use and not to waste. Thirdly and chiefly, it is to be commended because if anyone, no matter who, nor whether his income be small or large, really administers his money aright, that person will find himself able to put by something each year against the rainy days that may come.
Again, it is not only for one's own use, but for that of others that we should endeavour to keep a reserve-fund. And this applies directly to girls with ample pocket-money. Do begin now at once; buy a little money-box and every week or month drop a certain sum into it and resolve never to open that box except to relieve some urgent and piteous case of distress. For years it might remain unopened, and if you continued to feed it regularly, it would give you infinite pleasure some day to be able to open it and with the contents earn the undying gratitude of a fellow-creature.
If you girls who have now, or will shortly have, an ample allowance per year to dress on, were to pause to consider seriously how many women there are, say in London alone, who have only £40 or £50 a year, and not a penny beyond, to live on, that is, to provide them with a home, food, clothing, firing, and all the other necessaries of life, there is hardly one among you probably who would not resolve to immediately commence administering her money with some care.
Economy of time again is essential towards using one's life to the best advantage. It does not mean a continual bustle and hurry, but doing things at the right time and working and living with some definite end in view—the final end of all ends being, as the motto says, the glory and honour of God in our lives. Again, true economy of time does not imply that each hour in which we have not actually achieved some work with brain or hand is consequently wasted, for it may often be truer economy to spend an hour in quiet talk with a friend or in taking suitable recreation, but it does demand some method in our distribution of time, and protests against the best hours of the day being devoted solely to amusement or to mutually profitless gossip. Milton prettily says—
"Hours have wings, fly up to the author of time and carry news of our usage. All our prayers cannot entreat one of them either to return or slacken his pace. The misspents of every minute are a new record against us in heaven. Sure if we thought thus, we should dismiss them with better reports and not suffer them to fly away empty or laden with dangerous intelligence. How happy is it when they carry up not only the message, but the fruits of good, and stay with the Ancient of Days to speak for us before His glorious throne."
Sir James Y. Simpson, the celebrated surgeon, was very fond of speaking to the students on the duty of saving the moments and letting the minutes look after themselves. But in his estimate, as it should ever be in ours, the quality of the work was the all-important element in life. And of a hard-working thoughtful doctor who died young, he said, "He was older than some of us who are twice his age!"
Kingsley had the same thought in his mind when he wrote those well-known lines—