Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-07-22
"NevGr C0ntented Long"

laa'l wish we had a new carpet sale
Mrs. Arnold, somewhat pe:ulanlly, t
her husband. .Ba--aE.
Mr.. Arnold looked up from his news
paper, glanced at the carpet, and said
.'if you think we want one, my dear
you may go nd buy i tomorrow; bu
il seems TO me quite decent ye,."
ayes decent, | grant" said his wife
with emphasis. "But | am not con.
tented with being decent merely. II
can't be more than decent, nice, in fact
don't wan't to live at all. "t ssG
swell, we'll, my love-" replied the
husband, "suit yourself" For Mr.
Arnold was doing good business, and
knew he could afford little extraya
gance now and then. gaaes ge
The carpet was accordingly spurchas
ed, and, for awhile, Mrs. Arnold was
contented, or appeared to be so. A.
long as the ncvelty continued, she real.
Iy was satisfied. But when she had
grown tired of adniring it, and wher
the neighbors, having all seen it, eeas
ed to expatiate on its beauties, she be
gan to be dissatisfied again. II wa;
not the carpet OF course which now
made her unhappy, it was the paFloI
chairs. r.. e.-....e.s E.1
81 do think that we have the shabbies
chairs. = she said one evening. a"of any
body, lknow. 1 declare I'm ashamed
to let the light in on the room, when
.enyhady calls. least they should see
how mean our chairs are 7" .,....s. s..
The, chairs appear to me to be good
chairs enough replied, Mr.. Arnold
."Perhaps they dontlook quite as vel
as they did before we bought the new
carpet, for its freshness. makes then
seem a little dun by contrast. Blu
sorothat YOU are 10 blame, you know
Mary - ala g9 as - bHo9 .
Tho wife Bit her lip and made no reply
Bnt, on other occasions. she returned tc
the subject, until Mr.. Arnold, who
hated to be bothered" as he called it
surrendered for peace sake. t5a zs.
The new chairs, like the new carpet
pleased Mrs Arnold for while. But
in time, they ceased, like il, to make
her .contented and she now began Il
see, Tor the first time, that the furniture
of her best chamber was unworthy Of
her. -..
r"James," she said, "your newly mar
ried sister is coming. on Tuesday week
as you know. But the bedstead, dress
ing bureau, and wash stand Of cur spare
room are shocking. they are so out of fash
ion. and so scratched Iwish you would
graceful TO put Il bride into sucha place
"The furniture was thought Yer,
fina,H replied the husband, 'when We
purchased il, or setting up house keep
ing, ten years ago. am sure, Mary
yon were quite proud OF it.
.sBut we can afford better now," stout
y answered his wife, rand what was
fashionable then isn't fashionable now.
Your sister will think the meanness il
mine. for she'll never believe its yours
as men generally let their wives have
their own way ia such matters, espe-
cially if they arelng we'll, as every
body knows you -
"Well, welI.' said Mr.. Arnold, lit;
tie annoyed, "do as you like. suppose
you'll have il out Of me some day, and
you might as well get il now"
"And the old furniture" added the
wife. by way of concluding argument
.swill answer for our chamber, while
that we now use [ Il give to the chill
dren." s9 s gs ~ -
1t was not long subsequent TO this
when one of Mrs. Arnold's female friends
" ho was married like herself to sue.
cessful, busines man, set up q one horse
carriage. Instantly Mrs. Arnold herself
began TO wish Tor carriage. She had
been healthy enough before, by aid o.
an occasional walk, but now she discov
cred, all at once, both she aud the chill.
dren required riding as an exercise =
In short, she was discontented once
more. and she gave her husba nd, as usu.
al. no peace, till he gratiied this new
desire. Not that she stormed. or even
had the sullens but she looked discon
tented, sighed. and often regretted the
want Of carriage and SO. finally, Mr.
Arnold began to believe that her health
would eventually suffer. II it had MOI
already. tssA eSf
The carriage kept her contented for an
unusually long lime. But when she
called on all her acquaintances in il.
taken al. her relatives and frierds BY
turns outin it, she persuaded Mr.. Arnold
into letting the man who drove, wear q
sort of livery, and had new thafnes.
bought, aud then lighter carriage fo
herself and husband TO use exclusively
she began 10 be disconten,ed again. The
truth was one of her set had just moved
into finer house, and Mrs. Arnolc
wanted immediately a new and larger
house, also. ed ,gDfHi az Lss2tEaf ~
She has just succeeded in Obtaining
this fresh desire. But how long it will
satisfy her we cannot say; certainly
not until this. time next year forv be
fore that, lis novelty will be worn off
and when once thing ceases TO be
nav, Mrs. Arnold ceases TO be conten.
ted with IL. hns $40 fte fsa q nbaS Z
In nutrtnh she will never let her ge
what hesnay - remains contentsd long
Who does not know n Mrs. Arnold
THEoriginai ofthe word houey-moou
is from "a custom Of the Tontiaes. al
ancieut people Of Germany, who, dranl
mead or msthegleu,r a beverage mad,
with honey. for thirty days at.er ever
-. 4