The Cheerful Smugglers

In Short

This lighthearted comedy follows the Fenelbys, a young couple who institute a "Domestic Tariff" to fund their baby’s college education. By taxing every household necessity and luxury, they hope to save money effortlessly; instead, they create a climate of suspicion, resentment, and amateur detective work. The arrival of houseguests—the skeptical Billy and the vivacious Kitty—further complicates the experiment. As the household devolves into a series of minor betrayals and power struggles, the book examines the absurdity of applying rigid systems to the fluid, messy, and deeply emotional reality of family life.

The Story

Tom and Laura Fenelby are devoted parents to nine-month-old Bobberts. Fearing that their modest penny-saving habit is insufficient to secure the baby’s future, Tom devises a "Domestic Tariff." Under this code, every item brought into the house—from milk to cigars—is subject to a ten-percent duty for necessities or thirty-percent for luxuries, with proceeds going into Bobberts’ pottery pig bank. What begins as a whimsical game quickly sours. The tariff forces the Fenelbys to monitor each other’s spending and habits, turning simple domestic tasks into sources of potential conflict.

The situation escalates when the Fenelbys’ houseguests, Kitty and Billy, arrive. While both agree to abide by the tariff, the system immediately creates friction. Kitty refuses to bring her trunks into the house to avoid paying duty, choosing instead to leave them on the lawn. Billy, a bachelor who finds the entire tariff idea preposterous, becomes an "amateur detective," obsessively watching for evidence that Kitty is smuggling clothes into the house. Simultaneously, the household’s Irish servant, Bridget, finds the system intrusive and baffling. Her eventual departure—and the resulting vacuum in domestic order—exposes the fragility of the Fenelby union.

Tempers flare as the adults trade accusations of smuggling and dishonesty. The experiment reaches a breaking point when Bobberts suffers a minor tumble, momentarily uniting the family in panic and forcing them to drop their economic charade. However, the truce is temporary. As the family attempts to navigate the rules, they find themselves locked in an increasingly tense "Commonwealth" where the lines between law-abiding behavior and rebellion blur.

Ultimately, the tariff fails because it cannot account for human nature or the unpredictable influence of a "dictator"—in this case, Bridget, who returns to the household and effectively imposes her own terms. The couple realizes that their rigid, bureaucratic love for their son has only served to drive a wedge between themselves and their guests. In a final, ironic twist, the very friction caused by the tariff inadvertently forces Kitty and Billy to bond, leading them to fall in love and plan their own future. The Fenelbys abandon their tariff, accepting that the simple joys of family life are far more valuable than the complicated systems they tried to impose upon them.

How It Unfolds

The genesis of the system Tom Fenelby proposes a domestic tax to ensure his infant son’s financial future, convinced that a formal structure will make saving inevitable. Laura eagerly adopts the plan, turning their daily household management into a series of taxable transactions.

The influx of guests The arrival of Kitty and Billy introduces external pressure to the closed system of the Fenelby household. While the guests initially pledge to support the tariff, their presence forces the Fenelbys to defend a system that is rapidly becoming a social burden.

The rise of the detective Billy, harboring a deep-seated distrust of women, channels his irritation into tracking the movements of Kitty's personal belongings. He attempts to catch her in the act of smuggling, turning the home into a theater of accusations and defensive maneuvers.

The breakdown of order The departure of Bridget removes the central pillar of the household’s stability, leaving the family to cope with the consequences of their own rules. Tensions peak as the adults argue over the moral implications of smuggling a pink shirt-waist or a box of cigars.

The coup d'etat Bridget returns, effectively ending the tariff by reasserting her own authority as a necessary, if demanding, presence. The Fenelbys are forced to acknowledge the failure of their experiment, leading to the restoration of harmony and the realization that their system was always destined to collapse.

The People

Tom Fenelby is a man of systems and grand ideas who believes he can codify love into a series of laws. His desire to provide for his son’s future blinds him to the emotional cost of his rules, eventually leading him to see his wife as a potential smuggler.

Laura Fenelby is a devoted, domestic wife who initially supports Tom’s vision, but finds herself increasingly trapped by the rigidity of their own creation. She struggles to balance her love for her husband with the growing irritation of being constantly monitored.

Kitty is a sharp-witted, forceful young woman who refuses to be intimidated by the tariff. By navigating the rules with a mix of humor and defiance, she becomes a challenge for the others, ultimately proving that she can hold her own against any man.

Billy is a cynical, anti-social bachelor who views the tariff as an excuse for domestic interference. His transformation from a suspicious "detective" into a man in love provides a grounded contrast to the absurdity of the Fenelby household.

Bridget acts as the ultimate reality check. Her independence and refusal to be managed by the "Commonwealth" expose the weakness of the Fenelby Tariff, as she forces the family to face the practical limitations of their authority.

In Its Own Voice

"What was needed in the Fenelby family was a system that would save money for Bobberts gently and easily, and that would not be easy to forget nor be too palpable a strain on the Fenelby income."

Tom explains the philosophy behind his ill-fated scheme to his wife.

"There is no satisfaction in knowing a person is guilty, the satisfaction is in making the person look guilty, and Kitty looked like an innocent child questioning the face of a tempter and seeing guilt there."

Billy finds himself frustrated when his attempts to catch Kitty in a lie are thwarted by her composure.

"The joy that comes from a tax repealed is greater than the peace that comes from paying a tax honestly."

The narrator observes the relief that washes over the house when the family finally gives up their absurd experiment.

What It's Really About

The book serves as a gentle, humorous critique of the impulse to impose rational, bureaucratic systems upon the organic messiness of home life. It argues that love and family unity cannot be legislated or maintained through rigid contracts. The "Domestic Tariff" functions as a metaphor for how parents often prioritize the idea of their child’s future over the immediate quality of their present relationships. By attempting to "tax" their own lives, the characters lose the ability to trust one another, suggesting that true cooperation is found in flexibility rather than in the enforcement of rules. It is a satire on the human tendency to over-complicate simple affection.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate the gentle, observational humor of the early 20th century will find much to admire in this story. It feels like a precursor to modern sitcoms, where a single ridiculous premise drives the conflict among a small cast of characters trapped in a single setting. The warmth of the writing is unmistakable, even as the author pokes fun at the vanity and stubbornness of the adults.

However, modern readers should be prepared for the period-specific gender dynamics; the characters often speak in broad generalizations about the nature of "men" and "women," and the casual, if lighthearted, sexism is a hallmark of its time. The plot is focused and contained, making it a quick, pleasant read that doesn't overstay its welcome. What lingers after the final page is not the technical details of the tariff, but the underlying, relatable truth: that we often create our own problems by trying to manage the unmanageable. It is a light, clever exploration of human folly that reminds us not to take our own "rules" too seriously. Those who enjoy stories where characters eventually realize their own absurdity will find a satisfying, cozy conclusion here.