A dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

SHORT reckonings make long friends
A short reckoning is the speedy settlement of an account.

• 
  1530 R. WHITFORDE Work for Householders A4 The commune prouerbe is that ofte rekenynge holdest longe felawship. 1641 D. FERGUSSON Scottish Proverbs (STS) no. 668 Oft compting makes good friends. 1673 J. DARE Counsellor Manners xciii. Short reckonings (we say) make long friends. 1842 S. LOVER Handy Andy viii. There must be no nonsense about the wedding. .. Just marry her off, and take her home. Short reckonings make long friends. 1918 BARONESS ORCZY Man in Grey 15 Short reckonings make long friends. I’ll have a couple of hundred francs now. "business; punctuality
  

short see also ART is long and life is short; LONG foretold, long last.
shortest see BARNABY bright, Barnaby bright, the longest day and the shortest night; the LONGEST way round is the shortest way home.
shoulder see you cannot put an OLD head on young shoulders.
show see TIME will tell.
shower see APRIL showers bring forth May flowers.
SHROUDS have no pockets

• 
  1854 R. C. TRENCH On Lessons in Proverbs (ed. 2) v. With an image Dantesque in its vigour, that ‘a man shall carry nothing away with him when he dieth’, take this Italian, Our last robe, that is our winding sheet, is made without pockets. 1909 A. MACLAREN Epistle to Ephesians 41 There is nothing that is truly our wealth which remains outside of us, and can be separated from us. ‘Shrouds have no pockets.’ 1961 M. KELLY Spoilt Kill II. 20 ‘He had a win on the pools and it’s burning him.’ ‘Shrouds don’t need pockets, love,’ he said with a grin. 2002 Spectator 13 Apr. 57 So we take into the afterlife only what we have given away. Shrouds have no pockets. ■death; money