The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-11-30

I
Smithers that as her dear Smithers
never gas "mean about money! she
nightmare his house right Tor him
before he returned home.
Mrs. Smithels,, though she prded
herself on her taste" was not lit
erary woman, and she fancied that
the Terence Shook SO often alluded
to in the lecture was some fashiona'
BILE upholsterer. Probably the pur-
pie young lady had her own house
furnished and arranged by him.
Mrs. Smithers on going home,
looked in VAN for this famous up
holsterer in the directory. Finally,
she ventured to ask better informed
friend, "who Terence Shook was?"
and where his Earthly Paradise"
that the purple young lady had spo>
ken of, could be found?
Having received the revelation
that the Earthly Paradise" was a
book, and in this the sayings so Of
ten quoted were to be found, Mrs.
Smithers at once procured it from
bookseller and sat down to study it,
The result was such house-clean-
ing as the world never saw before.
Various strange men and women, all
the servants, and Mrs. Smithers hers
self, toiled from,morning until night
for six weeks, and at length, on the
very eve of her husbands return,
Mrs. Smithers, delighted with her
success, went through her home aud
declared it perfect.
And now carriage drives up to
the door. Mrs. Smithers flies down
stairs, and in moment quite vanish
es in the recesses of an enormous ul>
ster. A trunk is bumped into the
hall. portmanteau follows; the
door bangs, and Mr.. Smithers looks
around for his hat rack with big mir
ror, round knobs, and solid umbrella
stand. A long, thin table, with a
rair at either end, meets his eye in
stead, flanked on either side by
rigid chair with a marble seat and
marble slabs let into the bottom.
The whole aspect of the house is al
tered. The heavy carpets aud broad
rods are taken up from hall
and staircase. There is no sign of
the register in the polished oaken
floor. The heavy walnut banisters
are gone, and replaced with spindly
oak raids, each one conspicionsly fast,
ened by a brass rivet.
whats the matter? Had fire?"
asks the bewildered gentleman. He
doesn't look so very much pleased;
but Mrs. Smithers is confident of the
effect of the parlors. s.Sbe glides
forward and draws back the por>
there. There is no door now.
"You didn't tell me ANYTHING had
happened, "says Mr.. Smithers. "Well,
you shall have it all fixed up nicely
again. What was it? Furnace hues
evidently-the furnace isn't going.
All your pretty carpets, too?" aud
he giances down at the eXpanse of
polished oak, relieved by Turkish
rugs, and stops before the mantel-
pieces When ne last saw it it was Of
marble, carved deliberately. Now
it was replaced by one of oak, which
ran up TO the ceiling in a series Of
shelves interspersed with small look,
@giaSSeS.
The portraits of Mr.. Smithers jolly
old papa and prim looking mama,
which in massive gold frames, had
filled either recess had been ban>
ished. The portraits of the king and
queen OF the storks, on long panels
in inch wide frames of oak and gold.
filed their places. This was too
much ior Mr.. Smithers He fell in
to long legged Eastlake chair
which stood before small wood
fire perched upon q pair OF tall brass
andirons, and took out his pocket
handkerchief
\ woulden't have parted with pa