The Daily spy., 1850-06-22
ruE cFNTRFLTARI.E

so common now"
"Well, Mary replied the husband, ''the house
is your domain, you know Arrange At to your
own taste
I Mr. n was talented young lawyer, in pleas
ant New England town, devoted to his profession,
and fond of his wife. At the time of their marriage
he built moderateslZed house, convenient and well
proportioned, in the planning of which, the wife
was consulted, and grati6ed entirely. He lett 1t
pretty much to her, and her discretion and good
taste went no further than her present means allow
ed, and wants required. The fondness OF young
congeniaI couple, like George and Mary NJ, Is eas-
ly contented, it is too happy in itself, TO be disturb
ed, by the suggestions of luxury and ambition.
During the first year of their married life, and
while as yet the success of the young lawyer was
probematcal, the wife prided herself on the scrupu-
lous but not nlggardy economy with which she reg
ulated her outays; but that his reputation was
established and his income considerable and lncreas-
ing she thought their circumstances not only justin
ed but demanded some moderate expenditures in the
way of gratifying taste.
! The centre-table was procured, therefore, and
duly placed in the middle of a room of fifteen feet
by sixteen. 1t looked newer than the surrounding
furniture of the apartment, but was not otherwise
out of keeping with it
''How do you like it, husband? Don't you think
have arranged it prettily, and is it not an addition
TO the room?'
can addition it obviously is,'' replied the hus-
band, sand agreeable one nasmuch as it pleases
you-if for no other reason.'
81 knew you would approve of it, the wife con
tinued sand really, the room has SO long had that
same stereotype look, that it was time some change
was made to relieve the sense of sameness.'
'tHusband,' said Mary few weeks later, 81
find the parlor appears small-ndeed it is rather
cluttered-snce we have got our centre-able; there
is hardly room to get about in IT, Mrs. C., who was
here this morning; and indeed several ladies, have
remarked it. j have been thinking how to remedy
it. We have only to enlarge the house little on
that side 1t will give room above, also as
well as below; the cost will be much and ii need
not interrupt you in your business can to it.
You know you often compEmenting me with
those words of king Lemuel, ''he heart Of her hus-
band doth safely trust in her, trust in me in this
and will see it done.''
; 'Very well wife, consult your own wishes in the
matter. 1t may be more Of a job than you think,
and perhaps you will conclude, in the end, that the
better way had been to dispense with the table, in
stead of stretching the house to accommodate it. How
ever, II you can put up with the dust and confusion
of it, | have objection
81 think we can afford the EXPENSE" and as for
the dust and disorder, that will soon be over What
most regret is, that it will disturb the shrubbery
: and shades on that side. But they will grow
again.
The carpenters were set at work. therefore, and
the consequence was, the elongaton Of the house by
several feet.
In refttng the room, the carpet was of course too
small, and new one had to be bought and the same
was the case with the floor above. This was anti
W fFa Yas a so%ad anShT s Esd of tho
oi' 'ile hre-race longer where it snouS. oe.
IL seemed to have removed itself almost into cor
. ner OF the room. This was the sad bemish in the
eye OF lady OF so much taste as Mrs NJ, and the
more vexatious as she herself was responsible for il
l., 10 pull down and rebuild the chimney was the only
"a way to rernedy it, and this for the present. she dd
! not venture to propose.
is Mrs ~ was ambitious, but not unreasonably So
10 put she loved symmetry and fitness and could moi
: bear to things distorted and ssont of sort, ,,
i With all her natural force of character sbe comId
not content herself to see the fireplace where If os
r ana when summer came round again, the worlmen
10 We're recalled, and the chimney moved
70 Inc room was now complete and as if should bo
except that the ceiling little too low to suit i,
enlarged dimensions. But the external pronor,;on,
l. OF the house had suffered The front door and win.
dows were as much out of place as the beartb nh
In had been. This was another unfo-esonn rosnt
II was endured three four years till the wife o
posed to remedy the defect by an extension oc tb
y house on that side equal to the other.
le ALAS! the spirit of improvement, said an ,ood
sr ana inllrm aunt, whose chamber had been twice in
ii vaded by these changes. 'Alas the necessity of o
!, i'i5 on' nheh one mas once embarked in il fhf
e. niece replied. "Realy this altering an old bopso
lie though this is not old one is like the beginning
slrlie and the letting out of waters. But for tba
unlucky centre-table the house was well enouoh ~
$ 1t was, and wish it had so remained. And now !,
81 Is standing sur upon taste 1t needs the nd
y dons to restore 1t to some shapeness and besides
as our children grow older we shall find more room
le convenient. And so, as Mr. N. has no obectons
lie think we shall proceed.''
In the execution Of this resolve, more shrubbor,
lie was sacraiced; nor that the worst To accom-
modate the house, it found necessary TO SHOW,
the husbands Office farther, and as the ground be
came slopng, it was found necessary to raise bol
'e wall OF mason work for its reception.
,e And now, was the house symnetricaP II ,va
. anything but that. It's length was too great for IL
~ elevation 1t loo ed like portion of rope-vyall
" he protector of all these fine improvements wshe,
of hundred times that it had remained as il was i
those sunny days when she and her husband found
Ii exactly to their minds. 'sWho would have ought
n SAID she, "that all this would have come of SO npo
cent thing as centre-tabe." n sl7 TT
However she resolved to be content Exner;
in ments were at an end, and she had too much 80
in and principle, and still too happy in the objects
L. her domestic love, TO allow herself to be yexed .
that which could not be remedied She bore tho il,
i, good humored raiery of her husband. which :,
10 could not quite SUPPRESS especially when some ron
. wished TO be taken tlron1h ,La L,,,,.. - 'N'''