Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1850-12-03
THE BARGAIN.

What have you there, husbandr said Mrs
Courtland to her thrifty and careful spouse
as the latter paused in the open door to give
some directions to a couple of porters whC
had just set something on the pavement in
front OF the house
Just wait Il moment, and III tell you.-
Here, Henry! john BRING it in here,' The
two poiters entered with a beautiful sofa
nearly new.
why that is u beauty, husbandl How
kind you are!
Its second hand, you perceive; but it's
hardly soled--no one would know the differ.
ence.
Its just as good as new. What did you
give for it!'
That is the best part of it. Ii is spen-
did bargain. 1t didn't Cost cent less than
two hundred dollars. Now what do you
think got it forr
Sixty dollarsr
'Fiftyr
Guess againr
'Forty-fvel
No. Try again
But what did you give for it, dearr
why, only twenty dollarsr
'Well, now that it is a bargain
Am It, though! 1t takes me to get the
things cheap continued the prudent Court
land, chuckIing with delight.
Why, how IN the world did it GO so lowl'
i managed that. 1t amt every one that
understands how to do these things
But how did you manage it, dearl
should like to know
Why you see there was a great many
other things there. and among the rest some
dirty carpets. Before the sale pulled over
these carpets and threw them upon the sofa:
good deal of dust fell from them, and made
tne sofa look fifty per cent, worse than it re-
any was. When the sale commenced there
happened to be but few persons there, and
asked the au0tloneer to sell the sofa first,
as wanted to go, and would bid for il if il
were sold then. Few persons bid freely at
the opening of a sale.
What's bid for this splendid sofar he be-
gan.
III give you fifteen dollars for it, said |;
II not worth more than that, for it's dread.
fully bruised
Fifteen dollars fifteen dollars only fifteen
dollars for this beautiful sofar he went on;
and a man next to me bid seventeen dollars.
let the auctioneer cry the last bid for n
few moments, until | saw he was likely to
knock il down.
Twenty dollarsr said /, and that's as
much as I'll go for it,
The other bidder was deceived by this as
to the value of the sofa, for it did look dread
fully dshgu ed by the dust and dirt. and con-
sequently the sofa was knoched off to me-
That was admirably done, indeed said
Mrs Courtland, with bland smile of salts
faction at having obtained the elegant piece
of furniture at so cheap a rate. And it s so
near match, too, for the sofa in our font
parlor.'
This scene occurred al the residence of
a merchant in this city, who was beginning
to count his fifty thousands. Let us look on
the other side of the picture.
On the day previous to the sale, widow
lady with one daughter. a beautiful and in
teresting girl. about seventeen, was seated
on sofa in neatly furnished parlur in II I'D |
son street. The mother held in her hand
small piece of paper on which her eyes were /
lntently fixed; but it could be perceived that |
she saw not the characters that were written |
upon il.
what is TO be done, mar at length asked
the daughter.
Indeed my child, cannot tell. The bin |
Is fifty dollars, and has been due. you know,
Tor several days. | havnt got FIVE dollars,
and your bill for teaching the Miss. Leon
ards cannot bo presented for two weeks, and
then 1t will not amount to this sunni
'Can'i we sell something more, mar sug-
gested the daughter.
we have sold all our plate and jewelry, |
and now I'm sure don't know what we can |
dispose Of unless il be something that we re-
ally want
What do you say to selling the sofa, mar |
We'll, don't know, Florence. II don't
seem right to part with il. But perhaps we
ian do without it,
1T will readily bring fifty dollars, sup
poser
Certainly. 1t is of the best wood and
and cost one hundred and
iorty dollars Your father bought il short
lime before he died. and that is not more
than two years past, you know
Il shout think it would bring nearly one
hundred dollars said Florence. who knew
nothing Of auction sacrifices, and that would
give enough, besides paying the quarters