Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-02-26

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 would ruin the effect of the Italian
wing if removed any of the windows
in our bedroom; so L 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, | 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 & 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 filing the house
with gas, built up the chimney eighteen
feet and covered it with hood, and
thus made that chimney so prominent
that from a 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, i confess my house looked
like a patient of mine, whose body is
distorted and joints enlarged by infam-
matory rheumatism, and | was so in
debt my only salvation was in the pop
ularity of my "Favorite Pill"
can not detail all my vexations with
that house, for they were legion. l lived
in it till | had spent upon it and its fur
nishings about thirty-five thousand dol
lars, when fortunately sold it to man
who had become a millionaire selling
pigs. To be sure l only received half
what / had expended; but the burden Of
it 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 imy life. /
felt like dancing jig when went into
the wide old parlor. And the office
all! what charming place it did seem.
The fragrance of aloes and rhubarb still
hung about it. Every door and window
was in exactly the right spot, and 1 can
not describe the pleasure took in again
hanging up my skeletons in its roomy
closets aud setting up my bottles on its
wide shelves.
The old-fashioned things / had stored
in the attic and what l could buy of my
progressive and art-loving neighbors
furnished our house. Nothing was too
nice to use or too delicate for the sun to
shine on, and our friends, after laughing
at us little, said our house was the
pleasantest one in town; and they told
the truth, for we had light and air, fur
niture built with some regard to the
curves of the human body, and really
tasteful combinations of color on our
walls. There is an old story of flea
who took up his abode in lobster-shell,
not because he needed it, but because
it was finer than the dwellings of his
friends, and would be good property to
sell if real lobster should come along
Somehow, the house built always re.
minds me of that lobster-shell. Perhaps
the man who is now in it is a real lobster
and feels at home. l hope so. never
did, any more than the flea. There are
a great many very crude notions atloat
on the subject of what is beautiful ir
houses and their decorations; and fully
one-half the persons who profess tC
know all about it are as ignorant as Sc
many barn-owls. 1 therefore sincerely
pity all people who are about to builC
or buy a house; and in the hope that
may assist to avoid possessing what il
unsuited to their wants and tastes, Il
them dedicate this brief account o.
what my ntghbors call "Dr. Gillyfiow
er's Pill. "-ElizG6eth Cummings, IN N