his diary the words of wisdom--

What I saved I lost,
What I spent I had,
What I gave I have.

What proportion of our money we should give every one must determine
for himself, but we are not safe spiritually unless we cultivate the
habit of generosity. "The Lord loveth a cheerful giver." "There are
many," it has been satirically said, "who would be Good Samaritans
without the oil and the two pence." All of us, however humble our
station, are bound to give "as God hath prospered us" for the help of
man and the cause of Christ; and the discharge of the obligation will
become to us one of the greatest pleasures in life.

3. _We should cultivate thrift_.--Thrift is just forethought. It is
reasonable prudence in regard to money. It provides for "the rainy
day." If poverty be our lot, we must bear it bravely; but there is no
special blessing in poverty. It is often misery unspeakable. It is
often brought upon us by our self-indulgence, extravagance and
recklessness. We are to use every means in our power to guard against
it. The words of the poet Burns are full of common-sense:

To catch Dame Fortune's golden smile,
Assiduous wait upon her,
And gather gear by every wile
That's justified by honor;
Not for to hide it in a hedge,
Nor for a train attendant,
But for the glorious privilege
Of being independent.

The squalor and wretchedness which often fall upon people come from
their not having exercised a little thought in the use of their money.
A little self-denial would have saved them, and those depending on
them, from many sorrows. A saving habit is good. "It is coarse
thinking to confound spending with generosity, or saving with
meanness." The man who puts by a little week by week or year by year,
against possible contingencies is wise. However small may be our
salary and limited our income, we should try and save part of it.
Every young man should be a member of a savings bank, or a benefit
club, by means of which he can make provision for the future. The
honest endeavor to make such provision is in itself an education.

4. _We should earnestly endeavor to avoid debt_.--Debt means slavery.
It is loss of independence. It is misery. "He" (says a Spanish
proverb) "that complains of sound sleep, let him borrow the debtor's
pillow." Every shilling that we spend beyond our income means an
addition to a burden that may crush us to the ground. "Pay as you go,"
is a go