Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1847-05-20
What n Pair of Andfrous Cost.
By PETER PIPER, JR.

i Peter, said my uncle, knocking the ashes
from his pipe and laying il on The corner of the
mantle piece, and then fixing his eyes on the
androns. Peter those andirons cos, me one
thousand dollars
Dear me! exclaimed my aunt.
Oh, Father cried The gi,ls
Impossible said L.
True, every word true. One thousand dol
lars, did say yes, two thousand ful! two
thousand dollars
Well well said my aunt, folding up her knit.
ling for The night | should like 10 know what
you are talking about
My uncle bent forward and planted his hands
firmly on his parted knees, aud with deber.
ale air which showed that he had no doubt of
being able to prove his assertion, he began.
Welt-you see, good many years ago, we
had pair Of common old andirons. Your cou-
sin Levy says one day, Father don' you think
those old andirons are getting TOO shabby 3
Shabby not, though, they would hold the
wood Up as nicely as If they were made Of
gold So paid no attention 10 Lefty was
afraid she was growing proud. Soon after lhat
Peter, continued my uncle turning TO me, your
aunt took il up.
There il goes, interrupted my aunt, you can't
ge, along without dragging me in.
Your aunt took il up, Peter, and she said our
ueighbors could afford brass andirons, and were
no better off then we were And she said Let
~ and her sister Jane were ilsl old enough to
see company, and The sngy looking old andi
rons might hurt their market. knew that wo-
men will have their own way, and there was
no use in objecilng and SO 60, The andlrons.
The price of them was four dollars and half
All that's more like it, cried my aunt.
thought You said two thousand dollars
My dear, wish you would no' interrupt me.
-Four dollars aud half Well the frs, night
after we gol them, as We all sat by The warm
fire, talking over the mailer, Loty called my
attention 10 the hearth the stones of which
were cracked and uneven. The hearth was
entirely out Of keeping with new andIrons, and
thought might well have il replaced first
as last. The next day mason was sent for 10
examine IT, II came in my absence aud when
/ | returned home, your aunt and cousins all be-
sci me at once, 10 have marble slab, and they
pul their heads together
| La NE exclaimed my aunt, there was no
putting heads together about H. The hearth
was old worn out hing, not fiji FOR pig pen.
They put their Heads together, Peter as
was saying, and continued unit, got marble
hearth which cost me twenty dollars. Yes,
twenty dollars at least Then ihoughl was
done with expenses, but thought wrong
Pretty soon began TO hear sly hints thrown
ou, abou, The brick work around The fireplace
not corresponding with The hearth. | stood
out for a month or two against your aun, and
the girls but they al length got The better of
me, and was forced 10 have marble instead OF
brick And then The old OGDEN man,Iepiece
was so out of character that ii was necessary
| to have marble one The cost Of all this " as
spirit of Improvement had got a starr, there was
no stopping place. The new marble mantle
pu, 10 shame The old white washed walls, and
they must be papered. The wood work had
/ TO be painted Of course, and TO prepare it for
paint, sundry repairs were necessary. While
this was going on your aunt and the girls ap-
peared 10 he quite satisfied, and when il was
done, they had no idea the old parlor could be
made TO look so spruce. But there was only
a short respite. The old rag carpet began to
raise dust and | found there would be no
peace.
Now my dear said tie old lady with pleas
ent smile, accompanied with partial elevation
of the head.
| Now father exclaimed The girls.
| Till got new carpet. That again sbamed
lhe old furniture, and il had TO be turned out,
and replaced with new. Now Peter, coun, up.
my lad-tweny dollars for the hearth, and one
hundred for The mantle piece, and thirty for re-
pairs What does that make |