asted _himself_. And the
most serious phase of all waste is not the waste of substance but the
waste of self, of one's energy, capital, the lowering of morals, the
undermining of character, the loss of self-respect which thrift
encourages and promotes.

Thrift is not only one of the foundation-stones of a fortune, but also
one of character. The habit of thrift improves the quality of the
character.

The saving of money usually means the saving of a man. It means cutting
off indulgences or avoiding vicious habits which are ruinous. It often
means health in the place of dissipation. It often means a clear instead
of a cloudy and muddled brain.

Furthermore, the saving habit indicates an ambition to get on and up in
the world. It develops a spirit of independence, of self-reliance. A
little bank account or an insurance policy indicates a desire to improve
one's condition, to look up in life. It means hope, it means ambition, a
determination to "make good."

People believe in the young man, who, without being mean or penurious,
saves a part of his income. It is an indication of many sterling
qualities. Business men naturally reason that if a young man is saving
his money, he is also saving his energy, his vitality, from being wasted,
that he is looking up in the world, and not down; that he is longheaded,
wise; that he is determined not to sacrifice the larger gain of the
future for the gratification of the hour.

A snug little bank account will add to your self-respect and
self-confidence, because it shows that you have practicability, a little
more independence. You can look the world in the face with a little more
assurance, you can stand a little more erect and face the future with
more confidence, if you know that there stands between yourself and want
a little ready money or a safe investment of some kind.

The very consciousness that there is something back of you that will
prove a barrier to the wolf which haunts so many human beings, and which
is a terror and an efficiency destroyer to so many, will strengthen and
buttress you at every point. It will relieve you from worry and anxiety
about the future; it will unlock your faculties, release them from the
restraint and suppression which uncertainty, fear, and doubt impose, and
leave you free to do your best work.

Another great aid and incentive to thrift is the life insurance policy.
"Primarily devised for the support of widows and orphans, life