The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1841-01-13

Concluded
SEBut, Henry, it must be our own look out
that we make good selections; and, if we can
have them at little cost, my plan certainly
would be the better enc. Il was Mrs. Williams
that gave me these hints, and, you know, she
is capitsI manager. You should have seen
the bedstead she bought at one Of these establish
ments the other day; it cost her literally nothing,
and it IS fit to be placed in very genteel cham
berD
81 did gee it, and predict that when the warm
weather returAs, its ledger will discover the rea
son of its cAeapness."
"Well, Just give me leave to test my PLAN
Jane and can go around to these places, and ii
| should be disappointed in them, will submit
| to your opinion"
When Mr.. Waters came in to tea, his wife
met him with a look of triumph. ssWhat was
the price Of the pier-glass you described to me
for the ront parlor" she asked.
"T'hirty-five dollars,-ten under the' usual
cost"
81 saw a pair to-day, only trife shorter
and scarcely less wide, for-guess how much"
| every little. presume, from your ceunte-
nance."f
'EFor fifty dollars, both of them; l was abso-
lutely astonishedm
"They must be old ones, or must have very
inferior plates"
| 'No, they are new, perfectly new. The
frames were wrapped with paper to preserve the
| gliding, but the man uncovered them for our IN
spection. The plates were dim with smoke and
dust from standing so long exposed, but we
cleaned part Of each and found the glass of un-
usual thickness. We might take the two in
stead of the one you spoke of; it would be an
| extraordinary bargain. One of them would do
to place between the front window, and the 9TH
er on the back parlor mantel piece"
'EThere must be something wrong about them.
| Good articles are rarely offered so much below
| their common value"
GLOW suspicious ysu are, Henry!-I assure
| you they are excellent, and at the same place
we centre table for little more than half
the price of the one looked at with you The
| pedestal was very much the same, and the only
perceptible difference was, that the top, instead
of being solid slab, was incrusted with mar
| ble.o
'A very material difference, Eliza But why
not be satisfied with plain mahogany one?
| don't like sham things. Besides, if we had
handicapped one, should always keep cloth
over it; can't bear to sit at one of those hard,
cold things; they always remind me of grave
stones, when lay my hand on them"
FEBut marble stabbed tables are the only kind
fashionable, and this one though nearly as low
priced as plain mahogany one, looks as well a
if they were solid. The man says it is quite
new styls,-one that will supcrsede the present
| fashion entirely. wish very mech you would
| go and look at it, and the glasses! There are
other things TOO, that might sult us,-dmons.
| them pair of astral lamps, very low indeed
'sI have no fancy for trusting secondhand
| lamps; one good one would probably be
| worth mo to than the pair but have some
| thing more important to occupy me for the pre-
sent. l will be obliged to set offor the country
tomorrow before day, to attend to some urgent
business that will keep me away for week. I
have been in state of uneasiness about it all the
afternoon"
seT'hen III let these matters rest for the even
| ing. When yeu go, just leave me the money,
and can arrange them all during your absence.
You know we ladies have superior knack at
such things"
GAS you please, my dear, only be careful not
to meet with imposition. 1 think you had bet
ter wait till my return"
| ooh, mop replied Mrs Waters quickly, in
fear that she might lose SO favorable chance to
carry out her own views; EEyou shall see how
well can attend to it, and on your return you
| can come into your own house, and find your
self snugly seated at home without farther trou-
| ble."
| Mr.. Waters got through with his business
satisfactorily, and on his return to the city, he
found, with all the qualification that man of
domestic feelings and habits enjoys on the occa-
| sion of first entering house of his own, that
his family were comfortably established in their
OWE domicilo. After the first greetings and
| congratulations were over, he took leisure to
scan the arrangements. The parlors were
thrown open, and displayed every article held in
| dispensable to persons of some pretensions;
vet, in almost each could be detected,
| without much scrutiny, some indisputable signs
its being second-handed. There were dark
places in the carved parts that sand paper could
not reach, cracks filed up with glue, and ridges
and strealks in the varnish that betrayed hasty
| and careless workmanship. All, however, were
disposed with taste, and made quite snowy ap-
| pearance.
"Well, Henry, suppose you will now agree
| that my notions were best after all said Mrs.
Waters; esI have accomplished furnishing both
| rooms on your allowance, and, besides, have made
| it reach to supply Quantity of ware sufficient
for large dinner party Here it in the side
board To be sure, the knobs had been broken
off the covers of some OF the dishes, but they are
so neatly and dursbly cemented, that it will
never be perceived, and though COED many of
| the pieces are wanting, the set is still large.
| got it alse for half price. Isn't that large tu-
reen beautiful?-the shape is so uncommon and
so elegant. II is an excellent piece,-so heavy
| and so clear of defects. Look wkat substantial
handles!- they would hold up hundred weight ?"
eeI am satisfied, of course, seeing you are sos"
returned Mr.. Waters, ''but feel rather out of
order from my journey. ] must put on some
| clean clothes-why what induced you to cover
the glasses?" going up to one of the mirrors to
survey his dishabille ;-they were both yelled
with thin gauze.
sEWly candidly Henry, there was some mis-
take about those glasses. After they were sent
| home, and we had washed them, we discovered
| that great deal of the dimness and nearly all
the spots, which, we had supposed, were occa-
stoned by the dust settling on them In damp wea-
Their, We're blemishes in the glass. This made
them look SO badly that Jane and determined
to cover them, that the gauze might hide it all.
Every enc can see that we have mirrors in their
proper places, and in parlors they are more for
| show than for use."
ssBut that does not content me, they must be
| sent back"
s'Unfortunately, that is out of the question
| now The establishment was closed the day
| after had made my purchases, the owners hav-
ing prepared themselves to set up in another city.
| 1t was owing to this that 1 got every thing So
| cheap"
'sThen, l suppose, as it can't be helped, the