Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1855-11-28
WHAT A PAIR OF AND1RoNs COST.


WHAT A PAIR OF ANDIRoNs COST.
The following story is an old one, and may
be familiar to our readers, but it ought to be
read at least once year.
Peter" said my uncle, knocking the ashes
from his pipe, and laying it on the corner of the
shelf, and then fixing his eyes on the andirons.-
peter, those andirons cost me one thousand
dollars"
..Dcar me-" exclaimed my aunt.
..Oh, father.' cried the girls.
"Impossiblc" said l..
"Truc, every word true. One thousand did
saw ycs-two thousand-ful two thousand dol.
lars"
"Well, well" said my aunt, folding up her
knitting for the night, Il should like to know
what you are talking about9T
My uncle bent forward, and planted his hands
firmly on his parted knees. and with deliberate
air, which showed no doubt of his being able to
prove his assertion, he began.
well, YOU see, good MANY years ago, we
had a pair of common old andirons. Your cous-
in Lefty, says one day, Father don't you think
those andirons are getting too shabby Shabby
or not. / thought they would hold up the wood
as nicely rs if they were made Of gold. Soon after
that, Peter continued my uncle, "vour aunt
took it up" :. .s. ee
There it goes" interrupted my aunt, you
can't get along without dragging me inn Fs's
"Your aunt took it up, and she said, our
ncighbors could afford brass andirons and they
were no better off than We were. And she said
Lefty and her sister Jane were just getting old
enough to see company, and the old stingy look
ing andirons might hurt their market. l knew
that women will have their own way, and there
is no use of ohjccting, and so got the andirons
The price Of them was four dollars and half"
"Ah, that's more like it." cried my aunt;
thought you said two thousand dollars"
''NIy dear, wish you wonld not interrupt me-
Four and half Well, the first night after we
gotthcn,, as We all sat by the warm fire talking
over the matter, Lefty called my attention to
the hearth, the stones Of which were cracked and
uneven. The hearth was entirely out of keeping
with the new androns, and l thought might as
well have it replaced first as last. The next day
mason was sent for to examine it. He came
in my absense, and when l returned home, your
aunt and cousins all beset me at once to have
marble slab, and they put their heads togcih-
err"
La, mel" exclaimed my aunt, ''thcrc was no
putting heads together about it. The hearth
was an old worn out thing not fit for PEN"
'They put their heads together, Peter as ! was
saying, and continued until We got a marble
hearth which cost me twenty dollars-yes TWEEN.
ty dollars at least. Then thought was done
with expenses, but was wrong. Soon began
to hear slight hints thrown out about the brick
work about the fire place not corresponding with
the hearth. | stood out moment or two against
your aunt and the girls, but they at length got
the better fine, and l was forced to have a
marble one. The cost of all this was nearly one
hundred dollars. And now that the spirit of i'm
provement had got start there was no stopping
The marble mantle put to shame the old white
washed walls, and they must be painted, of
course; and to prepare them for paint sundry
repairs were necessary. While this was goiug
on your aunt and the girls appeared quite salts
fled, and when it was done, they had no idea the
old parlor could be made to look SO spruce But
this was only short respite. The old rag car
pet began to raise dust and found there
would be no peace"
snow my DEAR" said the old lady with pleas
ing smile, accompanied with partial rotation
Of the head
"Now father" exclaimed the girls
Till got new carpet. That again shamed
the old furniture, and it had to be turned out
and replaced with new. Now Peter, count up
my lad-twcnty dollars for the hearth, and one
hundred and thirty for the mantle piece and re-
pairs. What does that makcs"
"Onc hundred aud fifty, uncle
well, fifty for paper and paint:"
1.-TWO hundred
''Then fifty for a carpet, and one hundred at
least for furniture
"Three hundred and fifty
"Ahem! there's that clock, too, and the
blinds-6fty more"
-Four hundred, exactly"
Ny aunt and cousins winked at each other.
Now" continued my uncle, $50 much for this
one ROOM No sooner was the room finished
than the complaints came from all quarters
about the dining room and entry. Long before
this had surrendered ut discretion and handed
in my submission. The dining room cost four
hundred more. What does that count Peters
Eight hundred, uncle,
ssThen the chambers--at least four hundred
to make them chime with the down stairs"
Twelve hundred
The outside Of the house had to be repaired
and painted, of course. Add two hundred for
that
.Fosrtecn hundred
Then there must be piazza in front-that
cost two hundred
Sixteen hundred
Here aunt began to yawn. Lefty to poke the
FIRE, and Jane to twirl over the leaves of book.
"A new carriage came next, Peter; that cost
two hundred dollars.
Eighteen hundred"
Then there was lawn 10 ne iaid OUT ana neat
u fenced servant TO be hired-partics given
Observation-Disclosures and dresses at double
the former cost, and a hundred other expenses
in keeping with the new order Of things. Yes,
Peter I was entirely within bounds when ! said
two thousand dollars"
The opposition was silent. Ny aunt immedi-
atets arose and guessed it was bed time. was
lets alone with mr. uncle, who was not inclined
TO leave the subject ,has. He was a pcrscvcrins
man and never gave up what he undertook until
he had done the work thoroughly. So he
brought out his books and accounts, and set
about making an exact estimate of the expenses.
He kept me up until aftcr n,idnighs before he
got through. His CONFUSION vas that the pair
Of andirons cost twenty -four hundred and fifty
dollars go
ScAReIrS OF HoRsKs ~ EuRePE-A CORES
poasaens af the Spirit Of The Times. writing from
Paris, remarks on the state Of the Lendon horse
market rs follows slss. .ss i
i.s,iie~' saddle horses are no, TO be had. neith
er are carriage horses, which viii surprise you
I'M thifseen DAYS seaich could not fssa de-
cent pair At any price. Hshis var lasts another
year the Europeans viii DC Importing horses
from America, and il viii be YEA worth the at
tcasi0a Of sour farmers and breeders to raise
large horses sixteen hands, hs 70 draw a heavy
carriage, or carry . heavy man. Good saddle
horses for eeailenscn arr std 10 be found by par
Ing fee them; . frst rate one stands you $soe,
A Y.fss.> n Y a. that