It is among the sibylline secrets which lie mysteriously between you
and me, O reader, that these papers, besides their public aspect, have
a private one proper to the bosom of mine own particular family. They
are not merely an _ex post facto_ protest in regard to that carpet and
parlor of celebrated memory, but they are forth-looking towards other
homes that may yet arise near us. For, among my other confidences, you
may recollect I stated to you that our Marianne was busy in those
interesting cares and details which relate to the preparing and
ordering of another dwelling.
Now, when any such matter is going on in a family, I have observed that
every feminine instinct is in a state of fluttering vitality,--every
woman, old or young, is alive with womanliness to the tips of her
fingers; and it becomes us of the other sex, however consciously
respected, to walk softly and put forth our sentiments discreetly, and
with due reverence for the mysterious powers that reign in the feminine
breast.
I had been too well advised to offer one word of direct counsel on a
subject where there were such charming voices, so able to convict me
of absurdity at every turn. I had merely so arranged my affairs as to
put into the hands of my bankers, subject to my wife's order, the very
modest marriage portion which I could place at my girl's disposal; and
Marianne and Jenny, unused to the handling of money, were incessant in
their discussions with ever patient mamma as to what was to be done
with it. I say Marianne and Jenny, for, though the case undoubtedly is
Marianne's, yet, like everything else in our domestic proceedings, it
seems to fall, somehow or other, into Jenny's hands, through the
intensity and liveliness of her domesticity of nature. Little Jenny is
so bright and wide awake, and with so many active plans and fancies
touching anything in the housekeeping world, that, though the youngest
sister and second party in this affair, a stranger, hearkening to the
daily discussions, might listen a half-hour at a time without finding
out that it was not Jenny's future establishment that was in question.
Marianne is a soft, thoughtful, quiet girl, not given to many words;
and though, when you come fairly at it, you will find that, like most
quiet girls, she has a will five times as inflexible as one who talks
more, yet in all family counsels it is Jenny and mamma that do the
discussion, and her own little well-considered "Yes" or "No" that
finally settles each case.
I must add to this family tableau the portrait of the excellent Bob
Stephens, who figured as future proprietor and householder in these
consultations. So far as the question of financial possibilities is
concerned, it is important to remark that Bob belongs to the class of
young Edmunds celebrated by the poet:--
"Wisdom and worth were all he had."
He is, in fact, an excellent-hearted and clever fellow, with a world
of agreeable talents, a good tenor in a parlor duet, a good actor at a
charade, a lively, off-hand conversationist, well up in all the
current literature of the day, and what is more, in my eyes, a
well-read lawyer, just admitted to the bar, and with as fair business
prospects as usually fall to the lot of young aspirants in that
profession.
Of course, he and my girl are duly and truly in love, in all the
proper moods and tenses; but as to this work they have in hand of
being householders, managing fuel, rent, provision, taxes, gas and
water rates, they seem to my older eyes about as sagacious as a pair
of this year's robins. Nevertheless, as the robins of each year do
somehow learn to build nests as well as their ancestors, there is
reason to hope as much for each new pair of human creatures. But it is
one of the fatalities of our ill-jointed life that houses are usually
furnished for future homes by young people in just this state of
blissful ignorance of what they are really wanted for, or what is
likely to be done with the things in them.
Now, to people of large incomes, with ready wealth for the rectification
of mistakes, it doesn't much matter how the menage is arranged at
first; they will, if they have good sense, soon rid themselves of the
little infelicities and absurdities of their first arrangements, and
bring their establishment to meet their more instructed tastes.
But to that greater class who have only a modest investment for this
first start in domestic life, mistakes are far more serious. I have
known people go on for years groaning under the weight of domestic
possessions they did not want, and pining in vain for others which
they did, simply from the fact that all their first purchases were
made in this time of blissful ignorance.
I had been a quiet auditor to many animated discussions among the
young people as to what they wanted and were to get, in which the
subject of prudence and economy was discussed, with quotations of
advice thereon given in serious good faith by various friends and
relations who lived easily on incomes four or five times larger than
our own. Who can show the ways of elegant economy more perfectly than
people thus at ease in their possessions? From what serene heights do
they instruct the inexperienced beginners! Ten thousand a year gives
one leisure for reflection, and elegant leisure enables one to view
household economies dispassionately; hence the unction with which
these gifted daughters of upper air delight to exhort young
neophytes.
"Depend upon it, my dear," Aunt Sophia Easygo had said, "it's always
the best economy to get the best things. They cost more in the
beginning, but see how they last! These velvet carpets on my floor
have been in constant wear for ten years, and look how they wear!
I never have an ingrain carpet in my house,--not even on the
chambers. Velvet and Brussels cost more to begin with, but then
they last. Then I cannot recommend the fashion that is creeping in of
having plate instead of solid silver. Plate wears off, and has to
be renewed, which comes to about the same thing in the end as if
you bought all solid at first. If I were beginning as Marianne is, I
should just set aside a thousand dollars for my silver, and be content
with a few plain articles. She should buy all her furniture at
Messrs. David & Saul's. People call them dear, but their work will
prove cheapest in the end, and there is an air and style about
their things that can be told anywhere. Of course, you won't go to
any extravagant lengths,--simplicity is a grace of itself."
The waters of the family council were troubled when Jenny, flaming
with enthusiasm, brought home the report of this conversation. When my
wife proceeded, with her well-trained business knowledge, to compare
the prices of the simplest elegancies recommended by Aunt Easygo with
the sum total to be drawn on, faces lengthened perceptibly.
"How _are_ people to go to housekeeping," said Jenny, "if everything
costs so much?"
My wife quietly remarked that we had had great comfort in our own
home,--had entertained unnumbered friends, and had only ingrain
carpets on our chambers and a three-ply on our parlor, and she doubted
if any guest had ever thought of it,--if the rooms had been a shade
less pleasant; and as to durability, Aunt Easygo had renewed her
carpets oftener than we. Such as ours were, they had worn longer than
hers.
"But, mamma, you know everything has gone on since your day. Everybody
must at least approach a certain style nowadays. One can't furnish so
far behind other people."
My wife answered in her quiet way, setting forth her doctrine of a
plain average to go through the whole establishment, placing
parlors, chambers, kitchen, pantries, and the unseen depths of
linen-closets in harmonious relations of just proportion, and
showed by calm estimates how far the sum given could go towards
this result. _There_ the limits were inexorable. There is nothing so
damping to the ardor of youthful economies as the hard, positive
logic of figures. It is so delightful to think in some airy way
that the things we like best are the cheapest, and that a sort of
rigorous duty compels us to get them at any sacrifice. There is no
remedy for this illusion but to show by the multiplication and
addition tables what things are and are not possible. My wife's
figures met Aunt Easygo's assertions, and there was a lull among
the high contracting parties for a season; nevertheless, I could see
Jenny was secretly uneasy. I began to hear of journeys made to far
places, here and there, where expensive articles of luxury were
selling at reduced prices. Now a gilded mirror was discussed, and
now a velvet carpet which chance had brought down temptingly near
the sphere of financial possibility. I thought of our parlor, and
prayed the good fairies to avert the advent of ill-assorted articles.
"Pray keep common sense uppermost in the girls' heads, if you can,"
said I to Mrs. Crowfield, "and don't let the poor little puss spend
her money for what she won't care a button about by and by."
"I shall try," she said; "but you know Marianne is inexperienced, and
Jenny is so ardent and active, and so confident, too. Then they both,
I think, have the impression that we are a little behind the age. To
say the truth, my dear, I think your papers afford a good opportunity
of dropping a thought now and then in their minds. Jenny was asking
last night when you were going to write your next paper. The girl has
a bright, active mind, and thinks of what she hears."
So flattered, by the best of flatterers, I sat down to write on my
theme; and that evening, at firelight time, I read to my little senate
as follows:--