If favoring winds should drive them to opulence they would more than likely pay up, particularly those imbued with _sufficient personal honor_ to "make good." Such are the exigencies of life, we may as well concede that a vast majority at some time or other find it necessary to owe more than they can readily pay.

Emergencies arise which force us into expenses that require credit, and if we have so ordered our lives that when the pinch comes _we have no credit established_ the fact that we pay out our last dollar and go hungry to bed does not bring us much sympathy.

Thus it would seem that to be able to say: "I pay as I go," or, "I owe no man a dollar," or, "I never live beyond my means" is not much of a boast, when, after a death in the family, or other unforeseen circumstances, we find ourselves broke and nowhere to turn for accommodation.
It has been aptly said that "_People can save themselves to death._" In other words, one may develop the saving habit to such an extent that "Laugh and Live" can find no room beside us on the perch of our existence.

We must admit that the systematic saver of pennies misses a lot as he goes along, and, with time, degenerates into a sort of "Kill Joy." In the matter of regulating his family to his way of thinking he usually has an uphill job.

Sons leave home as soon as they can; daughters marry and breathe a sigh of relief, leaving mother behind to slave on _in order that the hoard may grow_.
While all of this is true it only represents extreme cases, therefore it should not be construed that this chapter is launched against _the habit of saving_.