Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1864-01-27
OR SPARE ROOM.
From Chambers Jo-rnal


married couple, there was nothing upon
which we prided ourselves more in our pice
little house in Vandeleur Terrace, than upon its
Spare Room Every apartment III that modest
mansion. was dear to us and had cost me many
a tear. Mivins had left the furnishing Of it
to me from tie very first and nobody can tell,
who has not experienced it, what a trial Hat
is. What a responsibility Is druggets and bed
furniture, and dining tables, and easy chairs,
and gilt mirrors, which YOU must have if a
house is TO be house, and chandeliers which
need "a bag TO put them into, If they are to
bear looking at after the first week, down TO
the roIling-tOwel in the back kitchen, which
talk of the excellence of machinery in these
days either does not roll, nine DAYS out OF
ten, or else comes down with a run
However, as | say, furnished our house
and especially that Spare Room. 1t had
statues on the mantel-picce, although it was
but a bedroom, and picture of the Battle Of
Waterloo, two feet by three, and Fl y-catcher,
and a sofa with ali antimacassar which Grand
mamma Grueby worked herself and took
three and half years about it. off and on in
expectation Of my marriage day. Moreover,
the bed shut up, and didn't look like a bed
unless you knew; and there was a wooden
cap that fitted over the washing-tabIe 20
that altogether wien party had got up, and
the place was put IN order, you might have
inquired whether it wasn't the drawing room.
If matters had turned out different, this might
have been the nursery, perhaps; bat that
not to be, and Spare Room il was
and Is, and in all probability viii remain so
long we stop in Nandeieur Tergace-and
have a lease OF the house for uiucty-uiuc
years, l believe. However, OF course, when
we took the place we could not tell what
might happen, and il was of no use hiring a
house only just big enough for ourselves and
no more and so that's how we cam" to have
our Spare Room. We are not rich people.
hiyins and | but we in what one NAV
call easy circumstances-tha IS we should
b. So if it were not for that extra chamber
which, for my part, and although it does look
50 spruce and elegant, | wish were walled up
or thrown into the dining room las il might
be, only that they say the doing away with
the party-wall would bring down the house,
for really the trouble it has cost me. and the
expense it has been to poor dear Nivins, no
body knows.
What | should be most particular about in
the way Of advice to all young people setting
up housekeeping, and especially in town, Is
this; Whatever house you take my Young
friends, whether big or little, be sure YOU have
no such thing a Spare Room. If YOU must
look out for contingencies-and nothing Is
worse, as far As my experience goes. or 80
likely to prove disappointiug-au provide an
apartment re U,irdI.re rs it were at least don't
from the country who write To say that they
are coming through Town-always ~ through
even II they stop week-that YOU would be
above all things delighted to receive them
only YOU have no extra sleeping acc0mmoda-
tion whatever. OF course, they will repIy
that ANYTHING viii DO fer Them that YOU may
litter them down where you please, that they
know how to rough it, and only require that
welcome which they are well aware thcv viii
receive at your hands, &c. The variety of
ingenious seltInyitations which these GOOD
people give themselves Is most extraordinary
But 10 All OF them YOU reply, with truth
that II Is thousand pitics, bat YOU have NO
Spare Room. All, happy pair, who have re
celved hint 10 this effect while there was
yet time, and prOhted by it There Is bach
elor OF my acquaintance who has aduuted
this course in respect To his drawing-room
IL is very beautiful apartment but entirely
unfinished, with the trltiing exception OF
wreath OF plaSterfowers on the ceiling above
the place where the chandelier Is expected to
hang. He entertains his unmarried friends.
and smokes in ali his rooms indiifercutlv:
but, when he IS called upon by ladies' he
takes them into the drawing-room, and re-
marks :. When | marry this shall De fur
niShed exactly as the lady of my choice shall
direct-who, indeed, shall also have her way
IN every other particular. Ii Is extraordinary
how respected that man l. in domestic circles
although he has not the most distant intention
OF marriage, and would not exchange the
privilege of smoking in his bedroom tas ne
had once the indelicacy 60 eonhdc 10 mel for
ive-and forty wives. There Is, therefore,
nothing more advantageous and cheaper than
an unfinished room; while t. married per
sons Of small income it Is Indispensable II
they once furnish their Spare Room, it Is all
over with them-thcir house Is made 4 hotel
Of at once
: Knowing YOU nave Spare Room writes
Aunt Bertha, :. make apology for craving
your hospitality for few DAYS The Nav
meetings begin at Exeter Hall on the l4th
and would not miss that dear good man. Mr..
Howler, upon amy account, IL i uncertain
when his address Will be delivered, but per
haps Mr. Miyins will be 80 good a TO procure
me this information tunt Bertha does not
think much Of poor dear Mivius in his spirit
uaI character, although she never dare breathe
80 much 10 me- who knows his real worth. and
what genuine good creature, without olI,
halfpcnnv worth of cant, he Is but She puts
great faith In his information regarding every
thing metropolitan, ever since he once nut
her into a bus which dropped her at the very
door OF Mr.. Surgeons Tabernacle. 1t Is "A
very difficult matter tor my husband, who is
only concerned with city matters 20 find out
about Mr. Howler, whose name he mas never
heard IN hi> life but this i the least OF the
house Is placed under religious martial law
for Il week certain, and the servants uuaui-
mously give Us warning after the first twelve
hours of her.
Then my cousin Dick informs Us, by letter,
that he would not scoop 20 ask favor Of any
other persons in the world but ourSeiveS-his
character being, as We know, independent 20 a
fault; but that he Is very anxious to exhibit
terrier At the ISiIngton dog-show, and feeling
sure that should never forgive his putting
up At an inn, why, he will make use of our
Spare Room and he ventures 10 say that We
have some sort OF kennel for little dog
that can stand IN corner of that apartment,
a. he dareS not let 1t sleep out OF his sight
Dick Is certainly great change after Aunt
Bertha, but, indifferent guest as She was. |
can scarcely say he is an Improvement. He
keeps hours which, except that they are n
ways late, are very uncertain, and i not 10 b,.
trusted TO eXtlnguish the light in the lobby.
nor even to put the chain up, after he has rot
in-when he does get in-a feat which he
sometimes finds > little difficult. don't mean
10 say he gets upsy; but he is so unused TO
latch-keys, that he viii tumble for half an
-. ! p