The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-03-12

probable that Plummet knew better
than she did what was convenient and
suitable for kitchen.
As soon as the walls were up, the
ways about town called the house
"Gillyhower's Pill," a name in which l
have since seen a sad significance.
About this time the agents for wall
paper houses began to visit me. Dado
& Co. sent man with large wagon
load of books full of samples, and for
two whole days the fellow expiated on
the beauties of each particular pattern !;
and we grew SO tired and confused
agreed to allow the firm certain
amount of money and let them fix the
rooms to suit themselves.
We moved into our new quarters in
October, and before we were settled
everything seemed to be entirely salts
factory. But very soon Mrs. Gillyfower
informed me that there was no china
closet off the dining-room, and no room
in the pantry for anything save little
tin. found her complaint just, on
examination; and the pantry was not
only very small, but entirely dark, so
that the gas had to be kept burning
constantly. The kitchen, instead of
being the roomy apartment had sup
posed any man of sense would plan,
was exactly twelve feet square. Our
bedroom next made itself disagreeable.
1t was also in the Italian wing, and
there were so many windows and doors
in it there was no place for furniture.
Our bed had to stand in the middle of
the floor, in what / call cross-cut of
draughts, and my wife and l were snuff
fling or coughing nearly all the time.
AS the days grew shorter, l found the
parlor was light only two hours during
the afternoon, when it received q few
rays from the setting sun. 1t was, of
course, in the Grecian upright, and the
colonnade in front of it was so arranged
that a great pillar stood in front of each
window. But the most uncomfortable
room in the whole house was my office.
Mrs. Gillyflower said would find the
other rooms equally disagreeable, if l
was in them as she was from morning
till night; but doubt it, for it did seem
as though in the Office Plummet had
taxed his ingenuity to the utmost to put
everything in the wrong place.
Our parlor walls were decorated with
bottle-green paper, on which was painted
the most luxuriant red hollyhocks. Our
bedroom was dark slate color, and the
designs seemed to me millions of gilt
snakes squirming in mute agony. Our
dining-room was nearly all brick-red
border. The little space left between
the Dado and border proper was sort
of red pink; and the effect of these tints
suggested torture chamber to me,
rather than the eating-room of quiet
Christian family. AS the other rooms
in the house were finished somewhat like
these [ have described, there was not a
place where our old furniture and car
pets looked well, and, spite of myself,
though l was deeply in debt, was COM
PEELED to buy new things for every room,
not excepting the kitchen, for Bridget
threatened to leave ''if she cuddent hay
a range instid of that ovid cook-stove
Twas as owld-fashi'ne as a hair-cloth
soffy." Even our china, which was
Haviland's best, looked wrong in the
red dining-room, and had to be replaced
by decorated porcelain.
But found that our new chairs and
sofas were all built on the right-angle
plan. Instead of fitting the body,
the body must be fitted to them. As
this task was very irksome to me, or
dered certain chairs and touches that /
knew were comfortable to be sent home
from the auction-rooms and stored in
our attic. ..-
The winter was very severe, and so
revealed to US the defects in our house
that we began to remodel it at the first
dawn of spring. Plummet assured me
that l would ruin the effect of the Italian
wing if / removed any of the windows
in our bedroom; so / had them bricked
up and left the blinds and casing I'M
touched. He tried to dissuade me from
changing the parlor; but, as knew the
darkness was injuring the eyesight of
the entire family, l had the window re-
set, so we could look out between the
pillars and modicum of light could
shine in. These changes necessitated
repapering, and more long bills from
Dado q Co. As the northwest wind
seemed to be detected from its course
by the tower, and in consequence
plunged down our kitchen chimney,
putting out the fire and filling the house
with gas, built up the chimney eighteen
feet and covered it with hood, and
thus made that chimney so prominent
that from certain point the house
looked very like a gas factory. After
. the warm weather set in, built bay
window on the south side of the sitting
room, run out the kitchen six feet and
made new pantry, and enlarged my
office. When these improvements were
completed, | confess my house looked
like patient of mine, whose body is
distorted and joints enlarged by infam-
matory rheumatism, and l was so in
debt my only salvation was in the pop
ularity of my ''Favorite Pill"
l can not detail all my vexations with
that house, for they were legion. lived
in it till had spent upon it and its fur
nishings about thirty-five thousand dol
lars, when fortunately ! sold it to a man
who had become q millionaire selling
pigs. To be sure only received hall
what had expended; but the burden OF
1T had become SO insupportable that the
day left it, and with. Phila Ann and the
children rode over to the old Butterfoss
house, was the happiest of my life. ]
felt like dancing a Jig when l went into
the wide old parlor. And the Office =
ah! what a charming place it did seem
Tho fro orranoa of aloae ond Y.hubarh % II