Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-09-13

festive board, smash! came boot and black
trousered leg through the ceiling, next to the
chandelier; and then, SMASH !!-CRASH!!!
down came chandelier, ceiling, and all, upon
the supper table, breaking it down and burying
all its glittering and savoury contents in one
mass of chall1y desolation.
Words cannot paint the scene that followed.
The ladies shrieked and fled into the garden,
thinking that the house itself was coming down.
1t was as much as three men could do to drag
the unfortunate youth, whose vigorous dancing
had finished Mr.. Prices flooring, out of his
hole. No one would enter drawing or dining
room again, and it was some time before cabs
were procured as a solution to the confusion.
and the dispirited assembly melted away. The
next day Price was sent for; Smith, the crest
fallen, would have it out with him, at any rate
but to his indignation, it was the builder who
assumed the injured innocent. What had they
bin up to? Darncing What business had
they to get darncing III his house? Fifty pound
houses like that warn't built for darncing
Warn't there clause in their agreement agin
balls and parties, and SIGH like goings on. No,
there warn't Yes, but there was though,
and that Mr.. Smith should find Honiton had
forgotten all about the prohibitory covenant,
and had to pay for the necessary repairs out of
his own pocket Mr.. Price was right Sebas-
topol Villa was clearly "not built for darncing"
and josts mounted up to ;f40 the confection-
er's bill for broken glass and damaged silver
was f32, besides the cost of the supper which
was spoilt. When all this was paid, poor
Smith had but little of his savings left to go to-
wards making up the ESQ, the first instament
of the G500 due to Messrs. Veneer, Shoddy, &
Co. have said that this dining-room table
was broken down by the fall of the ceiling.
The fracture disclosed that it was a rotton
worthless article, just French polished up for
SALE respectable upholsterer was called in
and 1t soon became clear that all the furniture
in the house was of the same description. The
chairs broke when sat upon, the carpets wore
out, the curtains faded, and in little more TIM
year distressing signs of seediness appeared
In every room. Smith expostulated with the
great furnishing firm, and the great furnishing
firm turned round upon him insolently, and
demanded what right he had to find fault,
when his last instalment was in arrears
Smith persisted, and Veneer & Co. clustered,
threatening to sue him. Smith took heart of
grace, swore he would defend the action and
dared them to proceed Veneer & Co. were
cowed, and eventually released their entire
claim upon Smiths father paying them $500.
The real worth of the goods they had sold was
not three hundred pence
But the troubles of the newly-married pair
did not begin or end here. Winter set in and
they soon found that Sebastopol Villa was
neither wind, rain, nor cold proof. 1t looked
very pretty in summer. Its plate-glass win
dows were imposing; its succeed front was
unimpeachable; its marble mantlepieces and
fancy CRATES were apparently frst-rate. But
then the wet came through the roof, the doors
warped and let in the draught, and the sashes
of the windows would not fit. Added to this,
the walls were very, very thin, and afforded
little shelter against the piercing northeast
wind, to which the house was exposed. More
over, being papered before they were quite
dry, the paper now began to peel off in strips,
which hung down, and waved about mournful-
ly in the currents of air that rushed in and out
of the rooms. Poor Katey Smith did not
jump for joy in her drawng-room now.
Christmas came, and Joe Price himself was
in the Gazette. He had tried other building
speculations, had run up other 'jerry-built''
houses, and had failed utterly, hopelessly.
Mr.. Peter Specie seized his houses including
Sebastopol Villa, for the ground rent had them
patched up and let them to people who be-
heved in cheap tenements. HonIton Smith
did not long continue his tenant. He saw
with grief that his good little wifes cheek
grew paler and paler every day.
One morning, as he was taking leave of her
to go into his chambers, he put his arm round
her, and drawing the gentle face close to his
own, said, softly, "Katey, are you very fond OF
housekeeping 2"
mo, dearp she said, looking down, tying
and untying knots in her apron cords, mot
very"
"Should you much mind our giving up this
place, and going into lodgings for year or
two, until we can afford to hire a really good
house and furnish it comfortably 2"
ooh, honey" was the joyous reply, 'Td
have asked you to do SO months ago, but 1
feared it might pain you"
Within two years the Smiths had house of
their own again, thanks to Honitons increasing
Parliamentary practice; but you may depend
upon it that it was not built by Price, nor
furnished by Veneer, Shoddy, & Co.
Sebastopol Villa is To BE LET. If the pub
lie will take my advice, it will remain so.