The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1868-12-25
what the .Andirons Cost,

eyes on the Andirons, "Potcr, those
cost me 81 900 ~
Dear nc" exclaimed my aunt
"Oh, father cried the girls.
"lmpossib de-" said !.
"rruc every word true. 81 $3.50, did
I say ? yes, SO eco, full e2,O00w
"Wcll, we'll" said my aunt, folding
up her knitting for pight,'I should like
to know what you are talking about"
Ny uncle bent forward, and planting
his hands firmly on his parted knees,
and with Il deliberate air showed no
doubt Of his being able to prove his as.
scrtions, he began:
Wcll,you see,a good many years ago.
we had pair Of common old Andlrons.
Your cousin Lette says one day, "Fa-
ther, don't you think these old And
irons are getting too shabby?" Shabby
or not, says ! they would hold up the
wood as nicely No if they were made OF
gold. Soon after that, Peter, continued
my uncle, "your aunt took it TIP"
"Thcre il goes, +" interrupted my auut,
"you can't get along without dragging
mo in."
"Your aunttook it up, Peter, 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 stingy-
looking Audirons might hurt their
market. knew that women will have
their own way, and there is no us, in
ohjecting: 50 I got the Andirous. The
! price of them was four dollars and a
| half-n
"Ah, that more like it," cried my
aunt. 81 thought you said s. o0o!"
"My dear, I wish you would not in
tcrrupt me. -Four and a half We'll.
the Grst night after we got them, as we
nh'~at by the warm fire talking over
the matter, Lettv. called NY aarntion
90 the hearth, the tones Of which were
cracked and uneven. The hearth was
entirely out Of keeping with the now
AndIrons,and I thouget might rs well
have ii replaced first as last. Tia next
day, q mason was sent FOR, to examine
it, ITo came in my absence, and when
| returned home, your aunt and cousins
all bosot me at once to have a marble
slab, and they put their heads togeth.
cr.n
LA meW exclaimed mrauut, "thcre
was no putting heads together about it.
The hoartd was real worn out thing,
no! fit for pig PEN"
"They put their heads together,
Peter, as was saying, and continued
till / got marble hearth, which cost
me twenty dolars-yes, twenty dollars
at least. Then l thought ] was done
with expenses, but was wrong. Soon
l began to hear sly hints thrown out
about the brick work around the fire.
place,not corresponding with the hearth
| stood for month or two against your
aunt and the girls, but they at length
got the better Of me, and I was forced
to have marble instead Of brick. And
then the old wood mantle-piece was so
out OF character that it was necessary TO
n marbleone. The cast If this u,a.' ,a,r ~
ly 500. And now thot tbo snir,t ar
improvement had cot a start tbaro was
no stopping. The new mantle nut TO
shame the Old white.woshcd woIis and
thew must be pajotnd orrourso. ard 10
nreuora tboo, rnr r,,int ,,ndr', ,aaoin,
were necessary. while this vo. ooirc
on. vour aunt and the rirJs on,o,rs1 to
be quite satisfied; and when it wo, dono
they had no idea the old narlo, conId
he made to look so sprurc. Rnt tbi,
wa7 only Il short rcsnitr. Tho old rag
CARPET began to raise a dust.nnd found
there would bo no pracc-u