The Washington herald., 1918-07-03
The Skeleton in the Guest Chamber
BY DOROTHY DIX
THE WORLDS HIGHEST PAID WOMAN WRITER

A young woman was telling me the
other day that she and her husband
intended to break UP housekeeping
and go to hotel to stay.
Don't do it." I counseIled her.
that is no proper way to live. Stick
to your own little two-by-four home
and yc.r own cooking. The moral
influence of their own pots and pans
will do more to keep any young
couple in the straight and narrow
path than all the ten commandments" "
II know it." responded the young
wife with tears in her eyes, ''and II
breaks my heart to give up our little
apartment and to think of living in
. public hotel. but it il the only way
we can save ourselves from bank
ruptcy and get any of what the poets
call the solitude of deux" We have
literally been eaten out Of house and
home by our relatives, and crowded
out Of our nest by them. And we
have never had a chance to say a
private word to each other since the
| day We were married.
so We are going to a place where
| they can't visit US. and where We
can have some privacy. and chance
to get acquainted without being chap
eroned by our loving relatives, who
never found out how fond they were
\ OF US until they discovered that we
could save them from paying hotel
bills.
TT isn't that I don't like Bob's
family, or that Bob doesn't like my
family, or that we are inhospitable.
Both OF us feel the most affectionate
| sentiments towards our in-laws. Both
Of us like to entertain our friends
and relatives. But in reason. And
we have been visited to death. There
fore, we are fleeing 10 a hotel as to
a temple of refuge.
"And our case isn't q peculiar
one. I know q dozen others just
like US, for you can have no idea
Of how popular you can be until
you live in a city and are in a posi-
tton to be visited. There Is no
other aggregation of charms and
virtues that draws all hearts to
you as does the possession Of a
spare bedroom.
at would appear as IL. when a
young man and woman got mar
ried. that the mans relatives smote
upon the cymbals with joy and
cried out, 'Ha, Now Bob is mar
ried and has set up home. We
| will have a place to stay in the
city without money and without
price And thereupon they descend
! upon the luckless couple like the
wolf on the fold.
And the brides people likewise
emit shouts of happiness and say,
Behold, another meal ticket has
been given us this day. and they
forthwith begin realizing upon their
new asset.
"Of course our families are never
honest enough to put the thing thus
brutally to themselves, but that is
what it amounts to. When any
| body, on either side of the house,
feels as if they would like to go
on a little spree, they pack up bag
and baggage, write Bob and Mary
that they are coming, and they ar
rive for an indefinite stay without
even asking IL it is convenient to
have them as visitors.
Sister Susie thinks nothing of
asking you to let her Ina Belle
come and spend a winter with you
and take music lessons, because
Ina Belle she Is certain Is a second
Mary Garden and only needs to
have her talent developed. And
Sister Susie thinks it Is just provi-
Dental that you married and went
to the city to live so Ina Belle
won't have to pay board, and she
knows 1t will be such a pleasure
to you to have the darling child
with you and listen to her cater
wauling.
'Or Brother Joe says that he
knows you will be glad to have his
John Henry come and live with you
while he Is getting a start in busi-
ness in the city, or Mother writes
that she is sending jamie to stay a
few months with you because she
has gotten so nervous and dispeptic
that the doctor thinks that she
needs change and to have her
! mind diverted by the gay and stimu-
lating life Of the city
What are you to do, You can't