The New York herald., 1879-09-14
House Opening.


At least a hundred thousand people
probably twice as many--are ut present en-.
during q series of annoyances that are in
the highest degree exasperating and fol
which blame is being distributed with &
generosity that would be simply heavenly
if the gift were only of different quality.
Each went away from home in June or July,
for summer in the country, carrying only
what was needed, and leaving the house
just as it had been in the eight or nine pre-
cedipg months; so it is as certain rs that
two and two make four that, on their re-
turn, everything should be just as it was.
But everything is nothing of the sort, even
after the trunks are unpacked and their con-
tents are restored to their customary places.
To begin with. the children-lucky young
sters !-are unable to find their school
books, SO they stay at home for several
days; then something-the stairway
carpet, perhaps-looks shabbier than 1t ever
did before; there is a greet scratch, that
every one is sure was not there when they
went away, on the front of the piano. and
one of the handsome lace curtains in the
it, though the family never owned a cat and
no servants have been left at home to enter.
tain their friends in equality" STYLE Mat
ters are just as bad all over the house;
there is dinginess about the bedspreads
that no one dares say were ever other
than snow white; the ivory handles of the
table cutlery are yellow, the silver spoons
are of short count, the coal man swears elo-
quently on the curbstone while the whole
family search wildly for the coal-hole key,
which every one knows always hung on
one particular nail and nowhere else.
More dreadful than all, the new cook, who
may have been installed only two days, but
who has already taught the various men,
bers Of the family to know their places and
remain in them, complains that the range
smokes cit never did so before), the hot
water faucet emits only lukewarm water,
the gridiron bars are burned away in the
middle. and she never before knew re-
spectacle family that didn't own such a
thing as q skinner and that had only
one vegetable dish. particularly az
that same one has o cracked cover.
It generally takes at least month,
dozen headaches, one change Of
servants and several family confabs. that
if heard elsewhere would be called ugly
tiffs, to set all these matters right; it also
requires one or more hundred-dollar bills
that had been destined for the creditor side
of the family bank book. Then there come,
like the slow but endless, tormenting drizzle
Of cloudy October day, succession of
small bills which the wife knows she asked
her husband to settle before they went
away and which the husband is sure he
gave his wife the money for. Bat like all
other things the house opening has its end;
autumn sunshine finally pervades the
home even if the rain is pouring down out
side; the husband goes to business from Q
lingering embrace and is welcomed back
again with an eager kiss; he and his wife look
joyously about them at their pretty rooms
and happy children, they declare there is
no place like home, and they never, never
will leave it again, and they keep their res
olution unbroken-for fully half year.