The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-12-08

needn't laugh it's as comfortable as
throne and we covered it with a quilt
of my mothers and we cut the engrav-
| inss from an old art Union, and framed
them. But this is what ! consider our
greatest triumph" said Bella and she
ran to the toilet-table and lifted the
muslin, with its quillings and ruchings
and all its fiuted sarcenet underneath,
and disclosed an old pine packing-box.
Bella, you are little witch ~ cried
Anna.
Am | not? Well think this room
is an achievement. But my room is
better still Here it is. Ny bedstead
there, with all that beautiful white and
gold lattice-work, is only an iron one,
and cost almost nothing. My carpet
well, that was eXtravagant, perhaps, but
/ meant my room to be perfectly beauti-
full and then thought that pale mot
tie would just match the pale chintz
curtains and toilet-covers and chairs :;
and as for the dressing table, the otto
mans, the footstools, they are old
packing boxes again; and the easychar
is barrel; and that little hour-glass
table, covered with the chintz, was
made out of two old barrel heads and
broom handle. OF course all that took
time but then time was the only thing
/ had too much Of Then l bought the
china sets and vases. from an old-clothes
man, as | told you and there isn't any
frame but the paper one, with the
pressed autumn leaves planted all
around it, to that old secondhand look
ing-glass and we bought little mould
ings of white wood for those bright
water. colors of mine; and Charlie cut
the brackets out of cigar boxes, and
polished and oiled them. And as for
the flying Mercury, | always wanted
one, and, of course, ! couldn't have it,
for it costs fifty or sixty dollars so !
contented myself with this plaster one
painted green, with gold powder rub
| bed in it looks little like the flying
Mercury, and a little like a flying grass
hopper; bat it brings such an aerial
sense of springing strength and light
ness into the room, that | am glad to
have it, if ! did pay five dollars for it,"
"Oh, Bella and to think Of the fifty
dollars | waste almost every week Of
my life!"
A." Well. you have it to waste, or else
you couldn't said the practical little
matron Il" But about this carpet. When
Charlie gave me the money for the
house, ] said the first thing is the car
pets, and the halls and parlors and din
ing-room must have nice ones. So |
knew Mrs. Burleigh was just going to
buy new carpets, and / thought if we
could get them off the same pieces we
could get them at wholesale price, for
she wanted ever so many hundred
yards, and | wanted good deal; and
we went together to wholesale place,
and-just think all that carpeting
for two hundred dollars p
"Two hundred Why, ! thought car
pets
" les, indeed two hundred, and no
more. Then | went to the owner Of
the house and fairly talked him into
taking out the old fixtures and putting
in new ones, perfectly plain, dark ones
up stairs but In the drawing-room,
these tiny gilt ones, with all their fine
chains, Just like pieces Of Roman gold
jewelry; and in the hall that little
bronze Hindoo boat full of flowers, you
sent out with light to tell about their
lovers. You don't know how much
they have TO do with the effect He
said, though he shouldn't do it for
every one but he liked my pluck and
my taste, and having the plain ones up
stairs and in the dining.room saved
them to him, as he could use the old
ones III a new house, too. Then | pad
ded the floors and the stairs, and had
the carpets stretched over them, and
made the hassocks myself Isn't that
crimson beautiful? And Charles had
splendid leopard-skin to lay down be-
fore the fender; and we got some light
spider-legged chaUs painted black-a
dollar a piece-and sewed on springs
and stuffed them, and then tackled on
n bit OF canvas, and over that bit Of
carnation cloth with gilt.headed nails
see, you couldn't find any thing pref
tier in ebony. bought real parlor
armchair in that same cloth-a perfect
sleepy hollow--and little bit of a mar
ble.top, and one mirror-at an auction,
to be sure. You don't know what you
can do at auctions till you hang round
Il little; and Charlie had that lovely
library table, and the low bookcases
and busts, before"
ION, how fortunate y cried Anna,
who had forgotten all about palaces,
and was quite rapt in this delight of
making both ends meet. But there
were your windows, and your dining
room, and
q" My four windows cost me Just fit.
teen dollars. For bought that imita-
ton Nottingham lace, and edged it
with imitation Cluny it looks just as
pretty, and washes just as well, and |
should like to know who's going to stop
and examine it. And then in the din
ing-room, chairs and Turkey-red cur.
tains and an extension table, cheap, but
covered with beautiful cloth-for
Aunt Maria gave me my house linen,
loads of it, and Aunt Jane my glass
and china, as your aunts will do, you
may rest easy, and more too"
" But then the kitchen ?''
ooh, pa gave me the kitchen furni.
ture; it was all he could do, with my
wardrobe too, you know. And he told
me to take my piano-that cottage
| and one Of the old family pOrtraits I