Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-05-16
From the Ladies Repository.
The Prize Piano.
A Household Sketch.

thrown by the moonlight; it follows a
man whose eager steps have lead him
far in advance of throng that has just
emerged from public hall. Swifter
becomes bis pace, and louder sound his
heel strokes on the pavement till sud-
denly he turns and springs up flight of
steps. He applies his night key to a
lock. 1t will not work. He becomes
impatient, nervously jerks the bell wire,
and that moment a servant opens the
door. He speeds to the sitting room,
where his wife awaits him, and without
stopping to take breath cxciaims:
"Oh, Anna, if ou had been at the
concert-we've got it-oh, but it's a
handsome one--rose wood carved,
splendid tone--it will be here in the
morning" %-s " # .t."s 81. h""@
Then the poor fellow was obliged to
take a breathing spell, and his wife had
an opportunity 10 express her joy al his
good fortune. Her husbands ticket had
drawn a very handsome piano. at a
prize concert. Before ten o'clock the
next day the instrument was deposited
at the door of their neat little parlor.
Henry IIeber was lively trustwor
thy young man who had situation at a
salary of one thousand dollars per an
mum in a wholesale store on Pearl street.
He lived in a small bu, comfortable
house in the western par. Of the city
which he had built with money his wife
had brought him. This wife was pru
dent woman for one who had not little
fashionable ambition; and with but one
child, a promising blue-eyed boy, who
had just began TO prattle, they were get
ting on swimmingly with the world
Anna was delighted beyond telling. with
the prize piano; and II really was splen-
did instrument in style not at all in
keeping with the furniture of their par
lor. After she had thrummed on the
keys few minutes she looked up arch
ly, and said to her husband:
You know | am but an indilreren,
player, Harry. and if I'm TO discourse
music for you, must have some new
music books and teacher" .'.|
"Certainly you must have teacher
and I'll look out for one tc.day. Who
would you recommend, Mrs. Drown!"
asked the indulgent husband, turning
to lady who had called to see and hear
the prize she had hoped to get. 49,. .,
"Well, | hardly know" returned the
lady, "there are number of excellent
teachers in the city, but | think the gen.
ileman recently from Paris. Mr.. P,
the best. His terms are high, br, my
girls go to him. and they make great pro-
iieiency." W.. ..aa. l.-a.a#en.
"ile played on this piano al the con-
cert, and liked him. must go TO The
store now, but before come home to tea,
Ill see him." And with these words
Henry hasiened to his business.
Mrs. Hebe- had many visitors during
the day, and were delighted with the pi-
ano; but number Of them thought it
would show 10 better advantage ii the
parlor were furnished in the late style.
When the husband came home in the
evening, he brought, to his wife the good
tidings" that Mr.. p, had been enga-
ged, and would give her the first lessun
on the following Monday. I#s
In the evening, while young lady
who was visiting them sal a, the piano,
Anna was thinking of the remarks her
guest had made about new furniture, and
il did not seem to her that their carpet,
was just such a figure as so splendid a
piano should set upon. Henry, perhaps,
was having similar train Of thought,
for glancing around the parlor, ne re-
marked: a...
a.That piano puts rather blush on
The other furniture" s. t-.. r.
$50 itGoes," returned Anna; "and I've
been thinking that we ought at least
have new carpet, and would like to
have il before / commence my lessons"
"We'll think about IT," answered the
husband indifferently. 49, -.T
But on The morrow Anna was invited
10 walk up town, and handsome cost
ly carpet was purchased. Mrs. Brown,
over the way, saw the upholsterer leave
it, and when he took his leave she hur-
ried across TO Mrs. Hebers. She admi-
rcd it very much. 1T was so handsome
il made the old fashioned centre table
look .wreiched." Anna Immediately saw
the force Of this remark, and was not
long in finding it out. A new centre ta-
bic was forthwith selected TO grace the
parlor, and several splendidly bound
volumes were purchased TO lay upon it,
and next evening solar lamp of the
newest pattern threw from the table a
mellow light over the new carpet.
Mrs. Smith called the next day to see
Anna. Her circle of acquaintance was
large, and of course there were Smiths
as well as Browns within 1t. The lady
was seated on one Of the rather old FASH
ioned chairs and she soon became fidge-
y. "a tft4 ZE.
"You have got beautiful piano, Mrs.
Heber; beautiful centre table, bu! you
will excuse me if | say these chairs are
horrible" .s......rE
Mrs. Smith was plain spoken wo-
man-as The Smiths generally are--and
Anna excused her. When the lady had
bowed herself out Of the door, Anna took
a .calm survey of her little parlor, and
was obliged to acknowledge that Mrs.