good old Book, reading of that other widow whose
wasting measure of oil and last failing handful of meal were of such
account before her Father in heaven that a prophet was sent to recruit
them; and when customers do not pay, or wages are cut down, she can
enter into her chamber, and, when she hath shut her door, present to
her Father in heaven His sure promise that with the fowls of the air
she shall be fed and with the lilies of the field she shall be
clothed: but what promises are there for her who is racking her brains
on the ways and means to provide as sumptuous an entertainment of
oysters and champagne at her next party as her richer neighbor, or to
compass that great bargain which shall give her a point-lace set
almost as handsome as that of Mrs. Croesus, who has ten times her
income?"

"But, papa," said Marianne, with a twinge of that exacting sensitiveness
by which the child is characterized, "I think I am an economist,
thanks to you and mamma, so far as knowing just what my income is,
and keeping within it; but that does not satisfy me, and it seems that
isn't all of economy; the question that haunts me is, Might I not make
my little all do more and better than I do?"

"There," said I, "you have hit the broader and deeper signification of
economy, which is, in fact, the science of _comparative values_. In
its highest sense, economy is a just judgment of the comparative value
of things,--money only the means of enabling one to express that
value. This is the reason why the whole matter is so full of
difficulty,--why every one criticises his neighbor in this regard.
Human beings are so various, the necessities of each are so different,
they are made comfortable or uncomfortable by such opposite means,
that the spending of other people's incomes must of necessity often
look unwise from our standpoint. For this reason multitudes of people
who cannot be accused of exceeding their incomes often seem to others
to be spending them foolishly and extravagantly."

"But is there no standard of value?" said Marianne.

"There are certain things upon which there is a pretty general
agreement, verbally, at least, among mankind. For instance, it is
generally agreed that _health_ is an indispensable good,--that money
is well spent that secures it, and worse than ill spent that ruins
it.

"With this standard in mind, how much money is wasted even by people
who do not exceed their income! Here a man builds a house, and pay