The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1855-12-25
OUTSIDE GLITTER AND INSIDE
GLOOM


OUTSIDE GLITTER AND INSIDE
GLOOM
Many homes are elegantly furnished, with
small addition to domestic comfort. In this
fast age the Mrs. Potiphars often live in pa
latial residences, oyerlaid with gorgeous de-
corations for the eyes of fashionable visitors,
while the homo-loving Mr.. Potipher sighs
| foI the quiet ease of the humble old home
stead. The Marysville Tribune gives an
amusing sketch of the inner life of one Of
these comfortless households
Il declare, Mr. Smith! this is too bad.
Here youarc stretched out on the sofa, muSs-
ing it up, and my nice carpet is all spoiled
by the tramp of your coarse boots. l shall
be ashamed to bring any one into the parlor
again-and | have taken so much pains to
keep everything nice do think, Mr.
Smith, you are the most thoughtless man
ever did sce--you don't appear to care how
much trouble you give me. If had no
more care than you have, we would soon
have a nice looking house-it would not be
long till our new house and furniture would
wife to him, as she saw him in the parlor
taking nap on the sofa.
Mr.. Smith rose up eagerly and answered, 4
was tired and sleepy, Mary, and the wealth
er so hot, and this room so quiet and cool,
and the sofa looked so inviting that could
not resist the temptation to snooze little.
| thought when we were building a new
house, and furnishing it thus, that we were
doing it because the old house and furniture
were not so comfortable and desirable, and
that and my own dear Mary would indulge
ourselves in little quiet leisure in these
nice rooms, and if we choose, in lounging
on the sofas and rocking in these cushioned
arm chairs, away from the noise of the fa-
mily, and the smell of the cooking stove.
Il Ididnot dream of displcasing you, Mary,
and | thought it would give you pleasure to
see me enjoying a nap on the sofa, this
warm afternoon. / noticed when Merchant
Swell, or Colonel Bigman, and their families
were here, you appeared delighted TO have
sofas and cushioned arm-chairs for them To
sit in or lounge upon. ] thought the house
and the sofas were to use-that we were
seeking our own pleasure when we paid II
large sum of money for them; bat suppose
| was mistaken, and that the house and fur
nture are for strangers, and that we arc to,
sit in the old kitchen, and if want to take
a nap rest little when fatigucd, I am to
lie down on slab in the wood house and
if you want to rest, you can go to the chill
dren's trUndle bed, in the little close bed
room were the flies can have chance at
you
The irony of Mr.. Smiths reply only pro-
vokcd his wife, and seeing hi lsclf threaten
cd with repetition Of Mrs Smiths speech,
with unpleasant additions and variations,
and knowing that he would get tired Of gain
she would think Of getting tired Of defeat,
he took himself out and left Mrs. Smith to
fix up and dust out, and lock him out, of his
own house, and took n seat on an old chair
in the kitchen, which Mrs. Smith said was
good enough to use every day, in the kitch-
Ell, where no one secs it.
Poor, mistaken Mrs. Smith, thought I.
And yet many are like her. They want a
fine house, and when they get it they want
an out house built to live in, and they CON
fine their families to a few small rooms,
poorly furnished, while the main room, well
furnished, is never seen by the family, only
when visitors come Both house and fur
niture are too grand for use. The carpet
is too fine for him to see or use. just so
it goes we dress, 1--WE women, mean, /
am sorry that many men are as foolish as We
arc,) to please others, or rather to excite
their remarks; we build houses and furnish
them for those outside of the family, and
live as poorly when we are rich as we did
when we were poor; as poorly in the new
house rs in the old.
1t is a fatal day to enjoyment, when fami
" gets n house and furniture too fine for
use and yet many have an ambition tOllave
it so. Better would it be if they were con-
tented with such house and such furniture
as is suited to every day use; the house
large enough to accommodate ones friends,
and the furniture such as all use at home.
Gg Doctor" said an old lady the other
day to her family physician, "kin you tell
me how some folks is born dumb"
"Vhy, certainly, madam" replied the
doctor; its owing to the fact that they
come into The world without the power Of
speech"
la, me :" remarked the old lady, 'now
Just see what it is to have a physic edica'
ton; I've axed my old man more'n hun
dred times that ar same thing, and all
could get out of him was,-'kase they is