Colonial literary journal and weekly miscellany of useful information

Call Number
FRM F3809
Created/Published
Sydney : Printed and published by James Reading and Francis Sandoe, at the General Printing Office, 1844-1845
Issue
Vol. 1 No. 26 (19 December 1844)
Images
16
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Text

COLONIAL  

LITERARY JOURNAL  

AND  

Weekly Miscellany of Useful Information.  

“ NON TUA TE MOVEANT, SED PUBLICA VOTA.”  

Vol. I. No. 26.]  

SYDNEY, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1844.  

[Price 4d.  

TOO-SEVERE ECONOMY;  

UNNECESSARY AND INJURIOUS IN ITS- RESULTS.  

Excessive devotion to any sub-luna'ry objec,t4s to be  

avoided, as incompatible with the end and purpose of  

our being. One pursuit in which the above may be  

exemplified, is the endeavour after wealth, where it is  

allowed to degenerate into avarice and parsimony—too  

often the result of misguided and sordid economy.  

Whatever may be the virtue of saving, however valu-  

able may be the admonitions to husband our pecuniary  

resources, it will be evident, on reflection, that we  

may commit most egregious error by adhering too  

scrupulously to fixed plan of general or universal  

economy. In entering upon the scene of life with  

prudential forethought, it equally behoves us to be-  

ware of falling into discreditable habits of meanness  

and avarice, as of waste and profligacy. Money is  

not the great good, not that which we should livb  

alone for. Human life has, indeed, far more noble  

and interesting objects presented for attainment. The  

fact, that money is but means, and often very im-  

perfect means, to an end, should never be forgotten  

and, if this fact were but universally acted upon, what  

profitable and pleasing change would take place in  

the condition, mental and physical, of society. What  

signifies the acquisition of opulence, if, in the mean-  

while, we have allowed all the comforts and rational  

enjoyments of existence to pass away untasted What  

comparison can be instituted between the possession  

of mere wealth, and the delights enjoyed in the con-  

templation of useful and well-spent life What  

compensation can there be found for the agreeable  

solace of the family circle and the social assembly  

Can the realization of any stated sum of money afford  

this solace Life, alas, is to many but bitter drop,  

and, unless modified by something superior to the  

possession of gross lucre alone—by solacements and  

hopes in which the virtuous and reflecting may safely  

indulge would not constitute the boon which it may  

and should become even to the most wretched.  

At present, the almost universal persuasion of  

civilized man,” it is remarked by Combe, in his Con-  

stitution of Man, “ is, that happiness consists in the  

possession of wealth, power, and external splendour;  

objects related to the animal faculties and intellect  

much more than to the moral sentiments. In con-  

sequence, each individual sets out in the pursuit of  

these as the chief business of life and in the ardour  

of the chase, he recognises no limitations to the means  

he may employ, except those imposed by the muni-  

cipal law. He does not perceive or acknowledge the  

existence of natural laws, determining not only the  

sources of his happiness, but the steps by which it  

may be attained.” Money is, truly, considered by not  

few to be the “ great good”—the ultimate object of  

possession; not the means, but the end and it is  

undeniable that there are many persons v/hose whole  

life presents but series of anxious struggles to save  

penny. But these are, generally speaking, short-  

sighted race, and often prove entirely wrong in their  

calculations. In order to follow out their plans of  

saving, and rather than risk the smallest sum in any-  

thing like adventure or speculation, they will fre-  

quently pass by decided advantage. They do not  

comprehend that what may seem to their present  

advantage, may eventually prove serious loss. They  

do not perceive the judiciousness rather of adopting  

such measures as shall secure saving in the long  

run, and hence they are continually casting away  

excellent prospects of well-doing, rather than swerve  

from the rigid regulations laid down for their own  

governance. Doubtless, these infatuated beings, who  

are by this course of action, it remembered, re-  

jecting most of the comforts and conveniences of life,  

may really attain to the opulence they aimed at, after  

incalculable plodding and privation but could they  

not have realized their washes much more easily, and  

perhaps more honourably, by the exercise of sounder  

judgment and nobler spirit? They have doubtless  

obtained the share they sought for of the good things  

of this life, but what mind have they left to enjoy it  

where are the fresh feelings of former days ’ They  

have long since lost all relish for the bounteous gifts  

showered upon mankind for their benefit and enjoy-  

ment the companions of their youth have vanished  

from their society friendship is to them an empty  

sound they are surrounded by plenty, but those they  

call to partake of it are strangers; and their death is  

anxiously desired by distant relatives, ho long to  

apportion among themselves the wealth accumulated  

by life of toil and privation.  

If the fate of the successful and penurious saver, as  

sketched above, be recognised as anything like reality  

how shall we describe the condition of him who has  

through long life of misdirected efforts, struggled  

hard to accumulate, yet in the end finds his endeavours  

fruitless and himself poor? Instances of this class  

will be familiar to most of our readers. Despised for  

their meanness shewn in every action, loathed for  

their generally repulsive habits, devoid of particle  

of generous sentiment, or even desire of refinement,  

every effort directed on the principle of saving little  

Cite

Citation options:
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http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2029393909

APA citation

Reading, James & Sandoe, Francis. (1844). Colonial literary journal and weekly miscellany of useful information Retrieved August 14, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2029393909

MLA citation

Reading, James and Sandoe, Francis. Colonial literary journal and weekly miscellany of useful information Sydney: Printed and published by James Reading and Francis Sandoe, at the General Printing Office, 1844. Web. 14 August 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2029393909>

Harvard/Australian citation

Reading, James & Sandoe, Francis. 1844, Colonial literary journal and weekly miscellany of useful information Printed and published by James Reading and Francis Sandoe, at the General Printing Office, Sydney viewed 14 August 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2029393909

Wikipedia citation

{{Citation
  | author1=Reading, James.
  | author2=Sandoe, Francis.
  | title=Colonial literary journal and weekly miscellany of useful information.
  | year=1844
  | section=2 volumes ; 29 cm.
  | issn=1327-6638
  | issue=Vol. 1 No. 26 (19 December 1844)
  | location=Sydney
  | publisher=Printed and published by James Reading and Francis Sandoe, at the General Printing Office
  | url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2029393909
  | id=nla.obj-2029393909
  | access-date=14 August 2025
  | via=Trove
}}

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