Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-09-02


from his pipe, and laying it on The corner Of th'
manlleplece, and fixing his eyes ON the and
irons, Peter those andiroDs cost me one thou
sand dollars
Dear me exclaimed my aunt.
'Oh, fatherH cried The girls.
Il 'impoSSibe' said |.
\ True eycty wvfa irt4S. One thousand diC
| say -ycs-twO thOnsand-full two THOUSAND
dollars
II Well WELL said aunt folding up her knit
ting for the night, should like to know wha
you are talking about
u My uncle bent forward and planted his hands
firmly on his parted knees, aud with delibe
rate air which showed no doubt of his being
able 10 prove his assertion. lie began:
II We'll, you see, good many years ago, we
had n pair of common old aGdirOnS. luul
cousin Lefty says one day, father, don't yot
think those old andlronS are getting too shah
byH Shabby or not ! thought they would hoIC
the wood up as nicely as if they were made o
gold. SO paid no attention to Lefty. wa,
afraid she was growing proud. soon after
that Peter continued my uncle your aun
took it up
| There it goes, interrupted my aunt, you
can't get along without dragging me IN
\ Your aunt took 1t up reter, and she said
our neighborS could afford brass andironS
and were no better off than we were And she
ting old enough O see company, and The Sllngy
looking old andIunS mlghl hun thvir market
knew that women would have their own way.
and there was no use IN objecling. and 50 got
the andronS.
'Thc price of them was four dollars aud a
half,
+ An, that's more like it, cried my aunt; Il
thought you said two thousand dollars
MY dear, wish you would not interrupt
nd bolI oil first N ipbt T..
ter we had got them, as We all sat by the warm
fire talking over the matter, Lefty called my at
tenliOn To the hearth, the stones of which were
cracked and uneven The hearth was entire
" out of keeping with the new andlrons, and !
might as well have il replaced first as last. The
next day a mason was sent for To examine it
lie came in my absence, and when ! returned
home, your aunt aud cousins all beSe me at
once, 10 have marble slab The maSonS had
convinced them the hearth would notluok de-
cent without a marble slab, and they put their
heads together
la me exclaimed my aunt there was no
putting any heads together about il. The
hearth was Il zeal old worn out thing, not fit for
n pig-pen.'
4 They put their heads together, a> was say
ing and continued ill got marble hearth,
which cost me twenty dollars, at least. Then
thought | was done with expenses, but !
:
sly hints thrown out about the brick work about
the fireplace not corresponding with the hearth.
! stood out for a month or two against your aunt
and the giIs, but they at length got the better
Of me, and was forced to have marble instead
of brick. And then the old wooden mantle
piece was so ont of character that IL was nee
eSsary to have n marble one. The cost of all
was nearly one hundred dollars. And now
that the spirit of improvement had got start,
th f,ptan naNt mo ala,
manlel put to shame the old white washed
walls, and they must be painted, OF course and
to prepare them for paint SundTy repairs were
necessary While this was going on, your
aunt and the girls appeared to be quite satisfied
and when it was done, they had no IDEA the o'd
parlor could be made to look 50 spruce. But
tins was only a short respite The old rag car
pet began to raise dust, and found there
would be no peace
Now, my dear + said the old lady, with
pleasing smile, accompanied with partial Io,a.
tion ollhe head
"Now, frker = exclaimed the girls
Till got a new carpet That again sham
ed the old furniture, ana it had 10 be TUNED
out and replaced with new. New Now, Pc.
ter, count up, my lad-twenly dollars for the
hearth, aud ! hundred for the manelpcce, aud
thirty for repairs. What does that make 2
One hundred and fifty, uncle,
wen, Hiy Ioi PaPei anu Paih'
Two hund ed
'Then fifty for carpet, and one hundred al
least for furniture
'Three hundred and ffly.'
'Ahem There's that clock too, and the
more
-Four hundred exactly
Ny aunt and cousins winked AT each other.
Now continued my uncle, SO much for this
one room No sooner was the room finished
than the complaints came ilcm all quarters, a
bout the dining-loom and entry. Long before
this had surrendered at discretion. and hand
ed in my submission. The dningIoom aud
entry cost four hundred more. W hat docs that
count, Peter 2
light hundred, uncle
Then the chambers--ar least four hundred
to make them rhyme with down slarS
Twelve hundred
"rhc outside OF the house had 10 be repaired
and painted, of course Add two hundred for
that
'Tncn there must be piazza in front that
cost two hundred
sixteen hundred
Here aunt began Ia yawn, Levy To POKE
he fire, and Jane to twill over The leaves of
book.
"A new carriage came next Peer, that cost
wO hundred dollars
tlghleen hunuItu'
"rhen there was lawn To be laid ont ard
neatly fenced-a servant to be hlred-particS
given occasionally go bonnels and dresses at
double the former cost, and a hundred other
little expenses in keeping with the new order of
hingS And all this grew ont of those very
indrons. Yes, Peter | was entirely within
bonds when said two thousand dollars
The opposition was >Ilcnced. My aunt i'm
nedaIciy rose and guessed 1t was bedtime |
was left alone with my uncle, who was not IN .
'lncd 10 drop the subject He was pcrSc.
rcIing man, and never gave mp what he under
ook. till he had done the work thoroughly. So
he brought out his books and accounts. and set
lbout making an exact estimate OF the expense .
lie kept me up till after midnight before he
got through His conclusion was that the pair
VI andiron> cost him trepig four hundred and
ffy doiiars -- PLdgc and Nand0m.
From the Louisville Examiner.