Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1838-01-24

lip when the memento oil her rare spe-
culation mel her eye.
Simon, in oil his wisdom and econo-
my, however, was not Invaluable. The
tedious mode of roasting geese, which
had been practised in the Oldschool fla.
mily from the days Of the pilgrims,
was, to suspend them by a wire before
the fire I; not unfrequently leaving il a
matter OF some doubt whether the cook
or the goose had the greatest scorch-
ing. Simon, in the plenitude of his af-
fiction, was determined to saw his be-
loved from such a fate, whenever he
could make a suitable provision COMO
mically.
Ono day passing where a red flag
had drawn a large of peo-
pie together, he found among a lot of
second hand furniture, the very thing he
wanted. After waiting two hours, the
auctioneer approached the spot where
Simon had stationed himself, for the
purpose Of procuring the prize. The
bids began at five cents, and after close
bidding for a few minutes, it was knock
ed off, and the clerk directed to put
down " one second hand tin kitchen,
little used, to Simon OIdschool,-37t
cents-delivered."
"This is a screen for Jemlma,"-
thought Simon, as he took it in his
hand, i" and a cheap one, too"
"Why, Simon," exclaimed his belo.
we'd, as he entered the door, what
black, greasy thing have you got there.
it is"
1t is an economical purchase, dea.
ry, only think, but two and three pence
spit and ALL"
JENNA now began to scrape the
Jumps of putty ard dough from the boz.
tom of the inki.chen, and exhibited to
Simon a telerable cullender. He con-
templated his cheap purchase a few
moments, and said in as good humored
q tone as he could assume, well, my
dear, / guess we shall have to boil It
with your cracked dish !"
The article was not comedy enough
( to adorn the closet, but Jemlma was
careful to place it where it would meet
her husbands eyes as often as the
cracked dish should hers, hoping that
the memento would not be less useful
to him, than the dish had been to her.
Now there are few married people
who have not bought their cracked
dishes and old tin kitchens; it is not in
these simple circumstances that the
merit of the tale consists-but it is in
the use to which such speculatlons car
be applied. 1t is to the purchase OF
| the dish and kitchen that much OF the
prosperity Of the Oldschool family is
owing.
After their first speculation they
learned the important lesson, not to
purchase any article Of furniture, with
out consulting each other.
Sam Stop advertiscs goods below
cost. Jemima remembers the cracked
| dish, and is careful to go where men
own that they sell or a living proht.
Simon, on his way to his place of bu-
| siness, passes an auction mart-he
looks strait forward, and hurries his
step as he passes and thinks of his tin
| kitchen speculation /; and wien he is
| really in want of an article he goes to
the regular dealer, buys good article
| and pays a fair price, and has the no.
BILE consciousness that he is helping
the trade.
When Jemima talked Of buying a
pretty ~navarino for several dollars, ST.
mon only pointed to the close. shelf,
and her mind was made up at once.
At the time when the fever of land
speculation was raging high, Simon
was almost induced by the solicitation
| ofsome ofhis neighbors, to take a share
in a township /; the bargain he would
not venture 10 make without Jemima's
knowledge and consent. "You know
| best, Simon" was her reply, "but
don't forget the old tin Kitchen This
was enough, and the speculation com
pany was made up without him.
Thus scarcely a day passes without
some important or trivial matter being
decided by adverting to one Of these
valuable regulators. II would do one
good to 60 over their house and see
how these standing monitors have pre-.
served their rooms from the accumu.
lation of useless furniture of all kinds
and the business Of Simon from the
inroads of visionary speculation.
Year after year has passed away
and many has been the joyful Christ
mas dinner the writer has taken in the
Oldschool family /; dozens of dishes
have been broken and passed to obliv-
ion cooking apparatus has been burnt
out and replenished time and again ;
vet as often as the day has returned
the newly secured old tin kitchen ha,
been hung uponits nail, and the crack
"a d;sb hns held IFS wonted conspicuous