It is sometimes said that in a good state of society there would be no
necessity of _keeping_ secrets, for no individual would have any thing
to conceal. This _may_ be true; but if so, society is far--very
far--from being as perfect as it ought to be. At present we shall find
no intelligent circle, except it were the society of the glorified
above, which does not require occasional secrecy. But if there are
secrets to be kept, somebody must keep them.
Some persons can hardly conceal a secret, if they would. They will
promise readily enough; but the moment they gain possession of the
fact, its importance rises in their estimation, till it occupies so
much of their waking thoughts, that it will be almost certain, in some
form or other, to escape them.
Others are not very anxious to conceal things which are entrusted to
them. They may not wish to make mischief, exactly; but there is a sort
of recklessness about them, that renders them very unsafe confidants.
Others again, when they promise, mean to perform. But no sooner do they
possess the _treasure_ committed to their charge, than they begin to
grow forgetful of the _manner_ of coming by it. And before they are
aware, they reveal it.
There are not many then, whom it is safe to trust. These you will value
as they do diamonds, in proportion to their scarcity.
But there _are_ individuals who merit your highest confidence, if you
can but find them. Husbands, where a union is founded as it ought to
be, can usually trust their wives. This is one of the prominent
advantages of matrimony. It gives us an opportunity of unbosoming our
feelings and views and wishes not only with safety, but often with
_sympathy_.
But confidence may sometimes be reposed, in other circumstances. Too
much reserve makes us miserable. Perhaps it were better that we should
suffer a little, now and then, than that we should never trust.
As an instance of the extent to which mankind can sometimes be confided
in, and to show that celibacy, too, is not without this virtue, you
will allow me to relate, briefly, an anecdote.
A certain husband and wife had difficulties. They both sought advice of
a single gentleman, their family physician. For some time there was
hope of an amicable adjustment of all grievances; but at length every
effort proved vain, and an open quarrel ensued. But what was the
surprise of each party to learn by accident, some time afterward, that
both of them had sought counsel of the same individual, and yet he had
not betrayed the trust.
In a few instances, too, secrets have been confided to husbands,
without their communicating them to their wives; and the contrary. This
was done, however, by particular request. It is a requisition which,
for my own part, I should be very unwilling to make.