The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1861-05-02

IHcre was no help Tor II, ana away went
the pictures to Messrs. Parker 4 Clover
IN good time they returned, redeemed,
regenerated and disenthralled." | was so
satisfied now that there was nothing left
in my parlor to be killed, that | could
| hardly sleep that night, so impatient was
[ to see Mrs. Sowerby.
The pestiient woman, when she came
next Gay looked around in evident di5ap-
poimment, but exclaimed with apparent
cordiaity:
DWELL now, I declare, it's all perfect !;
there is not handsomer room in town"
Thank heaven. thought /, l have com
mitted no more blunders.
But / reckoned without my host. /
was destined to 60 on numbering in spite
OF myself. The Spring was coming on,
and the weather being mild, the folding
doors had been thrown open between the
front and back parlors. This latter was
furnished with green, somewhat faded, 1
confess. ! had heretofore considered il
the sanctum sanctorum of the establish
ment. 1t WAS only used on extraordinary
occasions, such as Christmas and New
Years day, when al the fainiiy dined with
me, bringing their little children with
them to gormandize themselves sick. The
room looked very well by itself, but alas !
the moment Mrs. Sowerby caught sight
OF it, her eye ghtened-fatal omen
'Why, nay dear Dir. Sobersldes, what
has got into your bacl, parior? It used to
be SO geuteel and smart. Why 1 believe
[ am ioosing my eyesight. The green
curtains and carpet look quite yellow |
think. Oh, see 1t pow-tlte front par
J0,- has L:iyJed tie back ose!"
The deuce. Here was another pretty
piece Of business. [ must either keep
the door shut in summer and be roasted,
or be charged with killing whole parlor-
carpets, chairs, sofas, walls and all
1t would be but mere repetition to re-
late how this wicked woman led me from
murder to murder. First the new carpet
killed the curtains, then the new curtains
killed the walls, the new painted walls
killed the Oil satin chairs and so little by
little ali my honest old furniture went the
way of the honest yellow.
''The spell was broken at last" | cried
rubbing my hands in ecstacy. Neither
nay front parlor nor my back parlor can
commit any more assassinations Elated
with the idea, [ was waiting on Mrs Sow
erby, to the front door, when suddenly
she stopped short at the foot Of an old
fashioned winding staircase, the carpet of
which [ confess, was infested here and
there with that modern abomination-
darn. 1t was moreover, rather Gingy
and faded.
"Your back parlor has killed your hail."
said Mrs. Sowbery.
And so it had. Coming out of the
splcndor of the former, the latter had the
same effect on the beholder as a bad set
of teeth in q fine face or rusty iron CRATE,
in fine room.
[ began to be desperate L had been
accessory to so mauy cruel murders that
my conscience had become scared, and [
went on, led By the wiles of this pestilent
woman, to murder nay way from ground
floor to cock-lott, without spariDg single
soul. Nothing escaped but the garret,
which has ing been for half a century the
receptacle for all our broken or banished
household goods, resembled Hogarth's
picture of the End Of the World" and
deiied the arts of that mischieyous woman,
Mrs Sowberby.
My house was now fairly reyolutionized
or rather, reformed, after the old French
mode by a process of indiscriminate de-
struction.
| did not like Alexander, after having
thus conquered one world, sigh for anoth
er to conquer; [ sat down to enjoy nay
victory under the shade of nay iaurels.-
But, alas disappointment even follows
fruition. 1t Is pleasant to dance until we
come to pay the piper. BY the time Gus
tom had famiiliarized me to my new glo-
ries, and they had become somewhat in
different, bills came pouring in by dozens
and it was impossible, to kill my duns, as
[ had my old furniture, except by paying
them a mode OF destroying these troub-
lesome vermin, not always pleasant or
agreeable. From the period of commen-
cling housekeeping until now, [ have not
had occasion TO put off the payment Of
single bill. piided myself on paying
ready money for everything and it was IN
honest pride. | can hardly express the
modification I felt at now being sometimes
under the necessity of giving excuses in-
stead of money.
| had miserable invention at this sort
of work of Imagination, and sometimes
when more than usually barren, got
into a passion, as people often do when
they have nothing else to do.
More than once I found myself sudden
ly turning corner in great hurry or
planting myself against the windows Of