New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-03-03
THE SHELTON IN THE CLOSET

THE SHELTON IN THE CLOSET
Crowds of young people in New-YOrk
hurried through the golden gates OF matrimony
during the last two weeks OF February; for
even in churches in which the fast OF Lent IS
not observed there is prejudice against
wedding in so gloomy season. The columns
of society papers, which have been filled with
descriptions Of bridal receptions, trousseatls,
and presents, have ceased to glow for lew
weeks, and the newly married folk nave
leisure to arrange their possessions, take
stock of their capital of youth, fortune, and
love, and to settle down to make such use
of it as seems best to them. IHE
TRIBUNE willingly throws in Il word OF advice
as the fttest of wedding gifts 1t is that
thy carefully search house, baggage, and
hearts, and see that, as they set out on the
long Journey together, they take no skeletons
along with them. Your novel-wIiter, play
wright, and poet find the inevitable CHASTITY
tenant of the closet mighty useful person
age. They could not do without him; he Is
made to shoulder and lug In all the tragedy,
the dramatic situations, the telling points !;
but practical hOusekeepers or home-makers
would do well to begin their Spring cleaning
and Lenten self-examinatiOns by Kidding
themselves of all cadayers or any sort OF
secrets which have to be kept out of sight as
quickly as possible.
The skeleton in the majority of houses ruled
after the latest mode is mean economy
where economy is unwise, and lavish display
in circumstances where display is vulgar The
Young husband and wife, if they venture Oh
housekeeping at all, wish, first of all, to i'm
press their little world with their means and
good taste. Parlor and dIning-room boast
their fine carpets or rugs, pictures, and bric-a-
brac there is a snowy set OF china for COM
"pany;r but the mean skeleton sinks INTO
upper closets with the scanty stock of linen.
or among the cheap thin pillows and hard mat
tresses, or down to the bare comfort
less kitchen, with its meager supply OF
pots and pans. There are mansions dubbed
by gaping passers-by as palatial, whose draw
ing-rooms and state-chambers are maryels OF
luxury, but whose kitchens and ordinary
sleeping rooms are scarcely fit to be the In
habitation OF paupers. If our ambitious young
housekeeper has any such skeletons as this to
hide, or any other result of her own Incidence
or ignorance, she may be sure her sin will
find her out, and that at the least convenient
season, Sham magniicence never yet covered
up poverty, idleneSs, or uncleanness with ITS
scanty, gaudy drapery. Your fashionable
visitor will some day catch glimpse
of the ragged table cloth, or tho creep
ing horror of the basement-ghOst
harder to lay titan Hamlets fathcr-will rise
from his cavern in tho kitchen sink to walk
on parlor btOcatelle. There was an Old GUS
tom among our -grandmOthers which re-
quired each girl 10 weave and spin her chests
full of undertaking, bed and table linen, be-
fore she could hope for matrimony. Thou
sands of honest young couples with this pro
vision, COW, and clean feather bed, began
life courageously together, and ended it with
honor and success Thousands OF their de-
scendants who are ashamed of them begin 1t
now with fine furniture and snowy house,
and not half the preparation for clean COM
fort and genuine decency.
There are other skeletons which had better
be thrown out headlong from the new home :
that old love affair which the husband passed
through long ago, and which nc goes back to
nope over when no happens to be dyspepuc
or out of humor. 1t lifts him, he fancies, to
quite poetic hight-the possession OF TINS
lost love, stored away for melancholy emer-
gencies. The best way for his wife to lay
this ghost is to bring him face TO face with
his ideal dream. Ten chances to one she is
fat, mddle-aged, and fIOwzy, but in any ease
the new man and woman into which both have
grown are most likely to repel each other.
There are other cadavers buried in almost
every home ready to breed malaria grudges
between husband and wife sore old family
feuds unsettled disputes about money. Many
people, too, keep sort of charnel-house atmo-
sphere about by means OF incessant secrets f;
they wrap themselves in disagreeable mystery /;
manage their children and friends by a system
of finesse; they are apt, too, to possess sens-
tiveness beyond the comprehension Of the vul-
gar, are always in the abyss of a quarrel or
on the nights of reconciliation. There are no
whole respectable skeletons in their houses,
perhaps, but you walk knee-deep in bits of
bones Most familiar among skeletons Is debt.