Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1855-05-08

first night after we got them, we all sat
by the warm fire, talking over tho mat.
ter. Lefty called my attention TO the
hearth, the stones Of which were crack.
cd and uneven. The hearth was entire.
ly out OF keeping with the new andirons,
and ] thought ! might ns we'll have it
replaced first as last. The next day a
mason was sent for 10 examine it. He
came in my absence. and when | re.
tuned home, your aunt and your cous.
ins all beset INC at once TO have mar.
bio slab. The mason had convinced
them that the hearth would not look de.
cent without marble slab; and they put
their heads togcthcrA-"
"La mel" exclaimed my aunt, "lhcre
was no putting our heads together about
it. The hearth was real worn out thing
not fl for pig.pen."
"Thcy put their heads together, Peter,
as | was saying, and continued ill got
a marble hearth, which cost mo twenty
dollars at least. Then | thought | was
done with expenses; bu. thought wrong.
Pretty soon | began to hear sly hints
thrown out about the brick. work around
the Fireplace not corresponding with
the hearth. stood out for a month or
two against your aunt and the girls; but
they a, length got the better of me, and
| was forced TO have marble instead of
of brick. And then the old wooden
man:'e.piece had become so worn out
oil character, that it was necessary to
have marble one. The cost of this
was nearly one hundred dollars. And
now that the spirit of improvement had
got a start, there was no stopping place.
The new marble put to shame the olf
whlie,washed walls, and they must be
attended to.
The woodwork had TO be painted of
course, and to prepare it for paint, sun.
dry repairs were necessary. While this
was going on, your aunt and the girls
appeared TO be quite satisfied; and when
it was done, they had no idea that the
old parlor could be made TO look so
spruce. But there was only short re.
spite. The old rag carpe, began to
raise great dust, and found out there
would be no peacc-"
"Now, my dear" said the old lady,
with a pleasant smile, accompanied with
a partial rotation Of the head.
"Now, father" exclaimed the girls.
"Till | got carpet. SO the new car.
pet was got. That ngain shamed the
old furniture, and it had to be turned
out and replaced with new articles.--
Now, Peter, count up, my lad--,wen,y
dollars for the hearth, and one hundred
for the mantle, and thirty for repars.--
What does that maker"
"Ono hundred and fifty. uncle"
"Well, ''W fifty for paper and paiut."
"Two hundred"
Then fifty for carpet, and one hun.
dred for furniture"
"Three hundred and fifty"
"There's that clock, too, and the
blinds--f(ty more"
"Four hundred dollars"
My aunt and cousins winked at each
other, and looksd steadily in my uncle's
face, as if to say, you have not made
ou, your case after all.
"Now," continued my uncle, $50
much for this one room. No sooner
was the room finished, than complaints
from all quarters about the dining. room
and entry. Long before this, | had sur.
rendered at discretion, and handed in
my submission. The dining. room cost
US two hundred dollars, and the entry
two hundred more. What is that; Pc.
teri"
Eight hundred, uncle"
"Then there we're the chambers, at
least four hundred more, to make them
rhyme with those down stairs"
"Twelvc hundred"
"The outside of the house had to be
repaired and painted, of course. Add
tive hundred for that"
"Fourteen hundred"
"Then piazza in front; that cost two
hundred"
Here aunt began to yawn, Lefty to
poke the fire, and Jane 10 twirl over the
leaves Of book.
"a new carriage came next. Tha,
cost two hundred dollars"
"Then there was lawn to be laid out
and neatly fenced, servant 10 be hired
parties to be given occasionally; bonnet'
and dresses at double the former costs
and hundred other little expenses in
keeping with the new order Of things
All these expenses grew out Of those
very andirons. Yes, Peter, | was en-
tirely within bounds when | said it wa.
two thousand dollars.
The opposition was silenced. Ny
aunt Immediately rose and guessed it wa
bedtime. fwas left alone with my un
Gle, who was not inclined to drop tn,
subject. He was perseveIing man
aud never gave up what he undertook
till he had done the work thoroughly
So he brought out his books and &C
counts, and set about making an ex
act estimate of his expenses. He kep
up ill midnight before he got through
His conclusion was, that the pair Of and
. irons had cost him twenty.(our hundre
and fifty dollars.
SELF DEFEscE.-"Papa," said Ii
tie boy to his father, "when fello
I: strikes another, hain't he got right