American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1867-09-14


what do you think / got rtor "
i" Sixty dollars p
"Guess again"
:" Fiftyn
"Guess again."
"Forty -fives"
"No. Try again. t.
"Well, what did you sNe for it,
dear r.
"Twenty dollars p ..,.
Well, now that is Argaih:"
saint it, thought 1t skes me to
get things chean;" conhued MT.
Courtland, chuckling witldelight at
his "bargain.v
"How in the world didt get off SO
lowP'
"I managed that. Butt amt eve
nv one that understands how to do
these things"
"But Aew did you manSe it, dear
I should like to know"
"Why, you see, there Fere many
other things in the auctioroom, and
amone the rest some dty carpets.
Before the sale began, I ulled over
these carpets and threw lem on the
sofa a good deal of dus fell from
them, and it made the So look fifty
per cent. worse than it eally was.
when the sale was comnhced there
were but few persons prent, and |
ask ed the auctioneer to 81 the sofa
first, as 1 wanted to gOpnd would
bid for it, if it we're soldhen. Few
persons bid freely at the,peaing OF
a sale. :
"t What's bid for thi splendid
sofa p he began.
"I'll give you fifteer dollars for
it, said /; it's not wOrA more than
| that. for it's dreadfullNbused.'
!" Fifteen dollars, ffen dollars
sofa = he went on IN, a man next
to me bid seventh dollars | let
| the auctioneer crthe last bid for a
minute, until ! S, that he was going
to knock it dow
"'Twenty DORIS salu L, ANA
that's all III gj for it.
1.-THE other hder was deceived
by this as to thIreal value of the
sofa. for it did Tx dreadfully distig-
ured by the dusnd dirt, and conse-
: quently the sofaas knocked off to
me-"
"That was adrably done indeed,
said Mrs. Courtnd, with q bland
smile of satisfa,on at having OBJ
tanned the elega piece of furniture
at so cheap a lte. "Anu it's so
near match folhe sofa IN our front
parlor.' ...,
This scene occred at ;he residence
of merchant vo was counting his
fifty thousands.
II.
Let MS look O the ther side of
the picture:
On the day pvious to this salei
a widow lady an her oiy daughter,
a beautiful and lvely gl cf seven
teen. we're seatedon q sa in q neatly
furnished parlor,f a mlest looking
cottage. The mohethel in her hand
a small piece of paper, q which her
ewes we're ihtentE fzedbut 1t could
readily be perceEed ,hashe saw not
the characters TINT wreritten upon
it. =,
"What's to be dom, III" inquired
the daughter. =,
"Indeed, ttiy chill, rannot tell.
Tie bill is fifty dollTs,n nd has been
; due, YOU know, forseral days. l
haven't five dollars, ,lngour bill for
teaching the Misses Lnard cannot
be presented for two 'eks yets and
then it will not amat' this sum-"
"Can't we sell soithingi ma :"
suggested the dauiht -
1--WE have alrea,y d the little
plate and jewelry hahe Northern
y soldiers left us, on hecasiUti when
they pillaged the. h0iand foIcibly
seized your engagmt ring; ah J
the memory of thatt1 brings grief
to nv heart. But lid forget and
forgive all, had thyot ruthlessly
slain your invalid aer. But we
must not weep over past, when the
future looks so grinIA for selling
something, l know what we can
e dispense with"
aWhat do YOU to selling the
sofa, ma ?" =.
"Well, don't kT Florence. ltI
does MT seem righ1 part with it.
But perhaps we calowithout It,"
"I suppose it l esdily bring
{. fifty dollars ?"
"Certainly. 1t 1fhe best wood
and workmanship, 6ost one hun
, dred and forty dolls. Your father
/" bought it a few dayore his death,
consequently it hart been used
r long,
D. ~ think it willig nearly one
~ hundred dollars" sPlorence, who
~ knew nothing of ion sacrifice Il
"and that, besidesing the rent,
would buy us food some of nv
bills become due,