Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-01-15
WHOLE NUMBER G33.


fereni pattern, you know, bu, the same quality Of
goods and il looks as fresh fo-dsy as when il was
put down. You couldn't hsd an ingram 10 do
that
NO, indeed, said The wife, looking inquinagy
at her husband.
'Well, lei US try H. was his reply, for he saw
his wifs's hesr was set on the purchase. III is
but fifty dollars more al any rate, aud f!iy dol.
lars can't break me-
! Mrs. Howard had no, quite satisfied herselfshe
had done right, for as she walked homo she sad.
| Iknow some will call it useless exlravagance,
but in the long run il is cheaper, you know as
the clerk said. And besides, can soon save il in
other things. | will manage without new silk
dress this winter, and my old bonnet will do very
we'll with liue fresh trimming. Oh! we shall
not feel it by SPRING
! The carpet was put down, and then Mrs. How.
ard declared it prerlier than ever. Itwas indeed
the proudest day Of her life. Not one Of her nc.
quaintancc possessd Brussels carpet, and she
reflected with considerable compacency on her
superiority. It was her delight 10 exhibit il 10
her female friends, who aciuated BY curiosity, or
envy, lost no time in calling 10 see her new treas
ure and she especially enjoyed the lrymphit af.
iorded her over one or two. who had heretofore
surpassed her in their STYLE ofliving.
The carpet had been down about month when
one evening Mrs. Howard said 10 her husband.
Your mother was here to-day, nv dear, and
was in raptures with our new carpet She says
she never saw anything half so handsome.-
she thinks our chairs entirely TOO common for it;
and cane-bouomcd chairs, with q Brussels car
pet, do look shabby, confess. Don't you ,hinI;
: so, my dearP
4 am more than half Of your opinion said her
: husband, 'and thought so from the first. Iwon-
der what a set of mahogany chairs would COST
4 don't know indeed. great deal OF money,
: / have no doubt. Mrs. Stelson paid seven dol.
lars piece for hers. We must DO without ma.
hogany chairs I'LL we get rich.
Though Mrs. Howard said this, il was with a
sigh. The conversation dropped, nor was the
subject alluded to for several DAYS. But when.
ever Mrs. Howard went into the parlor, she
thought how great an improvement mahogany
chairs would make; and though a, first repeIled
the idea oftheir purchase as too ex,ravNgant, she
finally began to regard ii with less aversion. One
: day, however, her husband came home
my DEAR he said, 4 saw a seu Of mahogany
: chairs to-day at auction, and they sold very
n cheap, being bid off for less than four dollars
]. piece. almost wished you had been there, fol
: ifyou had liked them, we could have got them
i at bargain
n what PITY said his wife, hcaving pro,
. found sigh.
From that day the desire possessing sen Of
: mahogany chairs became an engrossng one with
Mrs. Howard. -Four dollars piece was so very
cheap! She attended all the sales, and visited
all the auction rooms; and at last found a seu to
suither. Onthe day ofthe saleshe wasrhere pune
tually; but another person seemed equally as anxi-
Gus TO have the chairs; and so Mrs. Howard was
forced to pay FIVE dollars piece for them.
III is little more Than we thought Of paying
she said. But they were very handsome, and
such bargain! Several were quite disappoint
ed when they came and found the chairs sold.-
| am sure | could have sold The purchase at a
profit. But | don't regret the cost Bit, since
they look so beautiful
Harry, as the reader may have guessed, was
of an easy, good natured disposition, and willing
ly yielded to his wile'S opinions. If he felt any
misgiving at this departure from economy, they
soon vanished, like his wife's.
The chairs were scarcely arranged in the par
lor, before some visitor suggested how much new
sofas would improve the rooms; and so finally
new sofas were bought. After this came mir
rors and then pictures; for each new acquisition
only made Mrs. Howard eager for more.
The love ofdispay now became ruling pas
sion with her. Hitherto she had been verv well
contented withher old associates, who were gen.
orally people in her own rank in life; but now,
with the increased elegance of her house, she as
, pired after more fashionable acquaintance. Wis
iting at their dwellings, she saw furniture more
elegant than hers, and to rival them was contlnu-
; ally adding some new article 10 her own rooms;
so that at length her parlors once so plainly fur
, nished bazed with candelabra, mirrors, sola-ta-
bles and gilded vases in the most fashionable
r style.
Two years after the purchase Of the new car
pet, you would scarcely have known Harry's
house. His own habits, and those Of his wife
had changed also. Formerly his evenings had
been spent al home, or IN a sociabIe visit TO q
neighbor, where there was neither ceremony nor
. expense; but now he and his wife were nearly
. always abroad at some gay party, and when they
., remained al home il was TO entertain circle ot
r friends with considerable display. The How
ards had got quite out of the sphere they had
f been broug up in. They had become involved
in round Of visiting, entertainments and balls.
Every evening a little party was projected at
their house or another, or else seats were taken
at the theatre for the whole company. Display
a and extravaganza had altogether suPplanted that
!. love of order and economy which had once been
: the characteristic of both Harry and his wife.
r 1t was not without many misgving that the
Young couple continued this new career they had
begun; butthe truth is, habits Of fexpense are more
easily acquired than got rid of; and their new
friends were SO charming or so fashionable, and
their own vanity was secretly so much pleased
r with the notice taken of1hem, that both Harry
and his wife found their fears daily less and less
troublesome, and gave themselves up with more
and more zest to the pleasures Of their new mode
of life.
/ Anoonr tho uarnoast friends Harry posSessed