Exhibit 10(o)

                             EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

          This Employment Agreement is made and entered into on January 29,
     1998 (the "Effective Date") by and between Thomasville Furniture
     Industries, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Thomasville") and Christian
     J. Pfaff ("Executive").

          WHEREAS, Executive is now and has been employed by Thomasville in
     senior management executive positions and is broadly experienced in
     all facets of Thomasville's operations; and

          WHEREAS, it is in the best interests of Thomasville to assure
     that it will have the continued dedication of Executive;

          NOW THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration and in order
     to induce Executive to remain in the employ of Thomasville, the
     parties covenant and agree as follows:

          1.  Definitions.  The following terms shall have the following
     meanings for purposes of this Agreement.
          
          a.  "Cause" means (i) an act or acts of personal dishonesty taken
          by Executive and intended to result in substantial personal
          enrichment of Executive at the expense of Thomasville, (ii)
          violations by Executive of this Agreement or Executive's
          employment obligations to Thomasville which are demonstrably
          willful on Executive's part and which are not remedied within
          a reasonable period of time after receipt of written notice
          from Thomasville, or (iii) the conviction of Executive of a
          felony involving moral turpitude.

          b.  "Disability" means the incapacity to attend to and perform
          effectively one's duties and responsibilities which continues
          for at least 26 weeks after its commencement, as determined
          by a physician selected by Thomasville.

          c.  "Employment Period" that period beginning on the Effective
          Date and ending upon Executive's retirement or earlier
          termination of employment.

          2.  Employment.  Thomasville agrees to employ Executive, and
     Executive agrees to serve Thomasville in an executive, managerial
     and supervisory capacity, subject to the direction and control of
     the Board of Directors of Thomasville, all upon the terms and
     conditions hereinafter set forth.  During the Employment Period:

          a.  Executive's position (including, without limitation, status,
          offices, titles and reporting requirements), authority, duties
          and responsibilities shall be at least commensurate in all
          material respects with the most significant of those held,
          exercised and assigned at any time during the 90-day period
          immediately preceding the Effective Date,<PAGE>




          b.  Executive's services shall be performed at the location where
          the Executive is employed on the Effective Date, or at any office
          or location not more than thirty-five (35) miles from such
          location,

          c.  Executive shall continue to receive an annual base salary at
          least equal to the annual base salary payable to the Executive by
          Thomasville on the Effective Date  ("Base Salary"),

          d.  Executive shall continue to have an annual cash bonus
          potential, either pursuant to the Lane Profit Sharing Plan in
          effect on the Effective Date or pursuant to a similar incentive
          compensation plan of Thomasville, at least equal to the level in
          existence on the Effective Date ("Annual Bonus"), and

          e.  Executive shall be entitled to participate in all incentive,
          savings and retirement plans, practices, policies and programs
          applicable  to other key executive employees of Thomasville
          ("Benefit Plans").

     The failure of Thomasville, without Executive's consent, to comply
     with the terms and conditions of employment as set forth in this
     Section 2 shall constitute "Good Reason" for Executive's termination
     of his employment with Thomasville.

          3.  Best Efforts.  Executive agrees during the Employment Period
     to devote his best efforts and substantially all of his business time
     and attention to the business of Thomasville, it being agreed that the
     Executive will have complied with this obligation if he devotes to the
     business of Thomasville his same best efforts and the same time and
     attention to the business of Thomasville that he has devoted to the
     business of Thomasville during the twelve months next preceding the
     Effective Date.  Executive agrees that he will perform such other
     executive duties for Thomasville and for Thomasville's subsidiaries
     relating to its business as the Board of Directors of Thomasville may
     reasonably direct.

          4.  Term.  Subject to the provisions of Sections 4 and 5 of this
     Agreement, either party shall have the right to terminate the
     Employment Period at any time.  If Executive's employment with
     Thomasville is terminated by Thomasville, other than for Cause or as a
     result of his death or Disability, or if Executive terminates his
     employment with Thomasville for Good Reason, then Thomasville will,
     for a period of one year after the termination date (or, if shorter,
     until Executive reaches "Normal Retirement Age" (as such concept is
     used in the primary retirement plan in which Executive is a
     participant on the Effective Date)), (i) pay to Executive as and when
     normally payable his Base Salary as in effect on the date of
     termination and an amount equal to the average Annual Bonus received
     by such Executive for the past three years prior to termination (or a
     pro-rated portion of such average Annual Bonus) and (ii) subject to
     program eligibility requirements and continuation of programs by
     Thomasville, continue his participation in the Benefit Plans in which
     he was participating on the date of termination of employment.

          5  Split Dollar Insurance Policy.  If Executive's employment with
     Thomasville is terminated by Thomasville other than for Cause or as a
     result of his death or Disability, or if during such period Executive
     terminates his employment with Thomasville for Good Reason, then
     Thomasville will continue to make premium payments for so long as
     Thomasville is making payments to Executive under Section 4 hereof
     under any and all split dollar life insurance programs in effect on
     the life of the Executive as of the Effective Date, after which the
     Executive will be entitled to ownership of the policy and Thomasville
     will be entitled to premium retrieval, all in accordance with the
     terms of the program, but only to the extent of the cash value of the
     policy, and without recourse to the Executive for the balance of any
     such premium retrieval.

          6.  Non-Competition.  During the period commencing on the
     Effective Date and while employed by Thomasville, and for a period of
     one year after termination of employment, Executive shall not, without
     the prior written consent of Thomasville, directly or indirectly, own,
     control, finance, manage, operate, join or participate in the
     ownership, control, financing, management or operation of, or be
     connected as an employee, consultant or in any other capacity with,
     any business engaged in the manufacture or distribution of residential
     furniture in the United States.  Nothing in this Section 6 shall,
     however, restrict Executive from making investments in other ventures
     which are not competitive with Thomasville, or restrict Executive from
     owning less than one percent (1%) of the outstanding securities of
     companies listed on a national stock exchange or actively traded in
     the "over-the-counter" market.  In addition, if the Employment Period
     is terminated by Thomasville (other than for Cause) and the Executive
     elects to forego the payments called for in Sections 4 and 5 hereof,
     the provisions of this Section 6 shall not apply.  Should any of the
     terms of this Section 6 be found to be unenforceable because they are
     over-broad in any respects then they shall be deemed amended to the
     extent, and only to the extent, necessary to render them enforceable. 
     Both parties stipulate that money damages would be inadequate to
     compensate for any breaches of the terms of this Section 6, and that
     such terms shall be enforceable through appropriate equitable relief,
     without the necessity of proving actual damages and to an equitable
     accounting of all earnings, profits, and other benefits arising from
     such violation, which rights shall be cumulative and in addition to
     any other rights and remedies to which Thomasville may be entitled.

          7.  Confidentiality.  During the Employment Period and at all
     times thereafter, Executive shall maintain the confidentiality of, and
     shall not disclose to any person (except as his duties as an employee
     of Thomasville may require) any non-public information concerning
     Thomasville or its business.

          8.  Miscellaneous.  This Employment Agreement shall be binding
     upon and shall inure to the benefit of Executive's heirs, executors,
     administrators and legal representatives, and shall be binding upon
     and inure to the benefit of Thomasville and its successors and<PAGE>



     assigns.  This Agreement shall supersede and stand in place of any and
     all other agreements between Executive and Thomasville regarding
     severance pay and/or any and all severance pay benefits pursuant to
     any plan or practice of Thomasville.  This Employment Agreement shall
     take effect as of the day and year first above set forth, and its
     validity, interpretation, construction and performance shall be
     governed by the laws of the State of Mississippi.

          9.  Indemnification.  In the event that either party hereto is
     required to pursue litigation against the other party to enforce his
     or its rights hereunder, the prevailing party in any such litigation
     shall be entitled to reimbursement of the costs and expenses of such
     litigation, including attorney's fees.

          10.  Waivers.  In consideration of the undertakings of
     Thomasville set forth in this Agreement, Executive hereby irrevocably
     waives and forever releases any and all claims and causes of action of
     any nature whatsoever that Executive has or may have against
     Thomasville or any of its officers, directors, employees or agents
     arising out of the negotiation, execution, delivery or terms of this
     Agreement, including, without limitation, any claims arising under the
     Age Discrimination in Employment Act, 29 U.S.C. Subsection 21 et seq.,
     and any state or local law relating to age discrimination.

          11.  Entire Agreement.  This Agreement contains the entire
     agreement of the parties with respect to its subject matter, and no
     waiver, modification or change of any of its provisions shall be valid
     unless in writing and signed by the party against whom such claimed
     waiver, modification or change is sought to be enforced.

          IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have each executed this
     Agreement the date set forth below.


                                         THOMASVILLE FURNITURE              
                                            INDUSTRIES, INC.

                                      By: /s/  Lynn Chipperfield
                                         -----------------------
                                          Vice-President

     Agreed to and Approved:

     FURNITURE BRANDS                     CHRISTIAN J. PFAFF
     INTERNATIONAL, INC.          



     By: /s/ W.G. Holliman             By: /s/  Christian J. Pfaff
        -----------------------           -------------------------         
        President<PAGE>