Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-07-01
From the Pledge and Standard.
WHAT A PAIR OF ANDIRONS
COST


WHAT A PAIR OF ANDIRONS
COST.
PETER said my uncle, knocking the ash
es from his pipe, and laying it on the corn
er of the mantelpiece, and fixing his eyes
on the andirons, Peter, those androns cost
me one thousand dollarsp
Dear me = exclaimed my aunt
'Oh, father = cried the girls.
Impossiblep said |.
True, every word true. One thousand
did say !-yes-two thousand-full two
thousand dollars
We'll, well, said my aunt, folding up her
knitting for the night, 81 should like to
know what you are talking about
My uncle bent forward and planted his
hands firmly on his parted knees, and with
deliberate air, which showed no doubt of
his being able to prove his assertion, he be-
gan:
We'll, you see, good many years ago,
we had pair of common old andirons.-
Your Cousin Lefty says one day, father,
don't you think those old andirons are get
ting too shabbyr Shabby or not, thought
they would hold the wood up as nicely as if
they were made of gold. So paid no at
tention to Lefty. l was afraid she was
growing proud. Soon after that, Peter
continued my uncle, your aunt took it
up
There it goes, interrupted my aunt,
you can't get along without dragging me
in
your aunt took it up, Peter, and she
said our neighbors could afford brass and
irons, and were no better off than we were
And she said Lefty and her sister Jane
were just getting old enough to see compa-
ny, and the stingy looking old andirons might
hurt their market l knew that women will
have their own way, and there asno use in
Directing, and so got the andirons.
The price of them was four dollars and
half
'Ah, that's more like it, cried my aunt
l thought you said two thousand dollars
my dear, wish you would not interrupt
me. Four and a half. Well, the first night
after we had got them, as we all sat by the
warm fire talking over the matter, Lefty cal
led my attention to the hearth, the stones Of
which were cracked and uneven. The
hearth was entirely out of keeping with the
new andirons, and thought l might as well
have it replaced first as last. The next day
a mason was sent for to examine it. He
came in my absence, and when l returned
home, your aunt and cousins all beset me a
once, to have marble slab. The masor
had convinced them the hearth would no
look decent without marble slab, and the,
put their heads together
La me exclaimed my aunt, there
was no putting any heads together about it
The hearth was real old worn out thing
not fit for pig-pen.'
They put their heads together, as | wa
saying, and continued till | got marble
hearth, which cost me twenty dollars, a
least. Then thought l was done with ex
penses, but thought wrong Pretty sool
| began to hear sly hints thrown out abou
the brick work around the fireplace no
corresponding with the hearth. stood GU
for month or two against your aunt ant
the girls, but they at length got the bette
of me, and was forced to have marble in
stead of brick And then the old woodel
mantelpiece was so out of character that
was necessary to have marble one. Tn
cost of all this was nearly one hundred dol
lars. And now that the spirit of improve
ment had got a start, there was no stopping
place The new marble mantel put to sham
the old whte-washed walls, and they mus
be painted, of course, and to prepare then
for paint, sundry repairs were necessary
While this was going on; your aunt and tn
girls appeared to be quite satisfied, and whei
it was done, they had no idea the old parlo
could be made to look so spruce. But thi
was only short respite. The old rag car
pet began to raise a dust, and / found Their
would be no peace
Now, my dear ? said the old lady, witt
a pleasing smile, accompanied with partia
rotation of the head
Now, father 7 exclaimed the girls
Till | got new carpet. That agar
shamed the old furniture, and it had to b.
turned out and replaced with new. Now
Peter, count up, my lad-twenty dollars 70
the hearth, and one hundred for the mantel
piece, and thirty for repairs. What doe
that make z
'One hundred and fifty, uncle
We'll, fifty for paper and paint
Two hundred
'Then fifty for carpet, and one hun
dred at least for furniture'-
Three hundred and fifty
'Ahem There's that clock, too, ana I'M
blinds-fity more
Four hundred exactly
Nv aunt and cousins winked at each 9th
err.
Now continued my uncle, so much fo
this one room. No sooner was the room
finished. than the complaints came from al
quarters, about the dining-room and entry
Long before this ! had surrendered at dis
cretion, and handed in my submission. Th'
dining-room and entry cost four hundre'
more. What does that count, Peterl
Eight hundred, uncle
Then the chambers--at least four hun
dred to make them rhyme with down stairs,
Twelve hundred
The outside of the house had to be re
,o;sod ,oJ o.;n,ad oc rourse Add tw,