The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-05-12
For the National Era.
EXTRAvAGANCE:
OR, WHAT DROVE ONE MAN TO MADNES
BY LIZZIE LINN

With an increase of means our wants mul
tiply astonishingly. Cheap ingram must Civ
| place to Brussels or gorgeous tapestry. Can,
| seats will answer for dining rooms and cham
| bers only, while chairs and sofas, and otto
mans, curiousy carved and exquisite in work
manship must supply the parlors Muslin OF
lace, wrought with skill, must drape our win.
dows Choice paintings must adorn our walls
and multitude of rare and costly trinkets be
distributed upon the mantel-piece and table,
and in every niche and corner Our chambers
must DO supplied with comforts and elegances
BETTING royalty. A silver tea-service and fine
china, must supersede the stone ware, and our
table must be loaded with Injuries Our cir
Gle OF acquaintance must be extended, more
expensive clothing worn, more costly enter
tainments given.
Mr.. Pyper never msdnt to be extravagant
Since his removal to Michigan, he had become
something of land Spectator, and had also
engaged in merchandising.
Mrs. Piper looked very pretty-quite like a
queen in her luxurious fauteul her feet rest
ing upon the opening buds and blossoms of an
embroidered foetstool. A solar burner height
ened her charms and displayed tho brilliancy
Of the decorations in the spacious apartment.
Mr.. Piper was in slippers, lounging on the
sofa. He appeared to be in a restless and alb
stracted state Of mind-nothing uncommon
for him. Just what he was thinking about
that evening, February I'd, 49,, never knew;
but events that occurred afterwards, led me TO
suppose that the cares and perplexities Of bust
ness were pressing upon him with crushing
power. The last year had been hard one
sales were dull--there had been more compet-
ton than formerly; and for some reason, quite
unaccOuntab!c to his cursory view of things,
his expenses had been unusually heavy. Some
person wrote a story years ago showing that
one pair of brass andirons cost some two or
three hundred dollars; but il Mr.. Pyper had
ever read that tale, he did not profit byit. He
thought his richest carpcting-which his wife
teased and coaxcd him 10 buy-cost two dol
lars per yard only, whereas it amounted to one
dollar per inch, because other things must bc
purchased to correspond. Little did he think
when he was persuaded TO pay thirty dollars for
q Handicapped table, that it would cost him
three hundred instead But so il was. Mrs
Piper had fine taste--quite passion for the
beautiful, and true idea Of harmony. Then the
garden, the yard, the horses, and carriage and
company, had each consumed large and un-
counted sums Mr. Pypcr did not think he
was seriously embarrassed, as yet still he felt
that his affairs were not in prosperous cond
ton.
ooh, dear ~ cried his companion, with a
yawn, al wish stories would always end well.
Have you read that long tale in Graham's last
MIR. Pyperl"
"No, Florence, get but little time TO read.
| hope you will profit by those stories that end
badly"
"Whst do mean by that?" inquired the
wife.
"Simply, that wrong doing, and extrava-
gance, and inhnmapity result in evil, and ret
ribution cannot be avoided"
"Pray who has done wrong No insinua-
tions, hope"
"No, oh no, my dear wife was only think
ing-thinking,n added he, musingly.
Thinking OF wbatio demanded Mrs. Py-
per.
"My wife must not ask 10 koowall think,
answered he, with a smile. Then he arose,
took the large chair, and sat close beside her
She dropped her head on his shoulder. What
a dear little wife she was How could he deny
her any request she might make!
Perhaps he was thinking Of Mike Rankin
an honest man, who went from his house that
day with heavy heart. Possibly he wss
thinking Of the disappointment and grief that
would overwhelm his family, when they lcarn-
ed that he had bought tho forty acres where
they had settled--where they had spent some
money and much hard labor In making i'm