The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-11-08
parlors were all fixed right.
Mrs. Jones looked pleased with the OPP
pearance ofthings, but did not express her

l.
self extravagantIy.
In selecting our chamber furniture, .
handsome dressing-bureau and French bed
stead that my wife went to look at in the
ware room Of high-pficed cablnet-maker,
tempted her strongly, and it was with some
difficulty that could get her ideas back to
regular maple four-poster, plain, ten
dollar bureau, aud two dollar dressing
glass. Twenty and thirty dollar mattress
es, too, were in her mind, but when articles
of,he kind Just as good to wear, could be
had at eight and ten dollars, where was
the use Of wasting money in going higher.
The ratio Of cost set down against the
afore-going articles was maintained from
garrett to kitchen; and was agreeably dis
appointed to find, after the last bill for pur-
chase made, that was within the limit Of
expenditure had proposed to make over a
hundred dollars.
The change from boarding house to a
comfortable homo was, indeed pleasant
We could never get done talking about 1t.
Everything was SO quiet, so new, SO clean,
and 80 orderly.
This is living would drop from our lips
dozen times week.
One day, about three months, after we
had commenced housekeeping, came home,
and on entering the parlor, the first thing
that met my eye was large spot OF white
on the new sofa. A piece Of the vcneering
had been knocked off completely disfigur-
ingit.
sWhat did that?' | asked Of my wife.
In setting back chair that busted,
she replied, zone Of the feet touched the
sofa lightly, when of dropped that veneer
ing like loose flake. I've been examin-
ing the sofa since, aud find that it is a very
bad piece OF work. Just look here.'
And she drew me over to the place where
my eighteen dollar sofa stood, and pointed
out sundry largo seams that bad gaped
open; loose spots in the veueering, and
rcke,y joints. ] saw, now, which hae
not before seen, that the whole article was
Of exceedingly common workmanship.
"A miserable piece Of furniture! said !.
is, indeed returned Mrs. Jones. tt
buy an article like this, is little better than
throwing money into the street.
For month the dsgraceful sofa re-
NAMED in the parlor, perfect eye-sore
when another piece Of the veneerine
sloughed of, and one Of the feet became
loose. 1t was then sent TO cabinet ma
kers for repair, and cost for removing ant
mending jus, five dollars.
Not long after this The bureau had to take
a like Journey, for it had strangely enough
fallen into sudden dilapidation. All the
locks were out Of order, halfthe knobs were
Of, there was not drawer that didn't re-
quire the most accurate balancing Of forces
10 order to get il shut after It was ones
open, and ii showed prcmonitory symptom:
Of shedding its skin like snake. A five
dollar bill was expended in putting this 10
to something like usable order and respec
Il lie aspect. By this time new set q
casters was needed for the maple four-post
er, which was Obtained at the expense o.
two dollars. Moreover, the blackboard te
d said four-poster, which from its exceeding
uglincss, had. from the FIRST, been terrible
ey e-sore to Mrs. Jones as well as to myself
was about this period removed, and one o
more slightly appearance substituted, at the
additional charge Of six dollars. No testel
frame had accompanied the cheap bedsteat
at its original purchase. and now my wife
wished to have Que, and also light curtain
above and valens below. All these, Will
Z trimmings, &C., to match, cost the rount
sum often dollars.
lit looks very neat said Mrs. Jones, at
ter her curtains were up.
III does, indeed,' said |.
sStill,' returned Mrs. Jones, 81 would
much rather have had handsome mahoga
ny French bedstead.'
80 would : was my answer. 'But yol
know they cost some thirty dollars, ane
VIC paid but sixteen for this
!, Sixteen! said my wife, turning quickly
toward me. 1T cost more than that
! sOh, no. have the bill in my desk,
was my confident answer.
Sixteen was originally paid ] know,
said Mrs Jones. But then, remember
what it has cost since. Two dollars fo'
casters, six for new head-board, and ten
for tester and curtains. I'hirty.fonr dol
lars in all, when a very handsome French
bcdstead, Of good workmanship, can be
bought for thirty dollars
| must own that was taken something
aback by this array OF figures shat don't
lie.'
sAnd for twenty dollars we could have
bought neat, we'll made dressing bureau
at Moores s. Champions, that would have
lasted for as many years, and always looked
in credit
'But ours, you know only cost ten
said ].
'The bureau; such as it is, cost ten aud
the glass two. Add FIVE that we have al
ready paid for repairs, and the four that
our maple bedstead has cost above the
price Of a handsome French one, and We
will have the sum of twenty one dollars,
enough to purcaso as handsome dressing