Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1884-08-14

necessary for us to return to our owl
abode at an early hour. I do not think
that it could have been as late as eight
o. clock. In the afternoons mail We
found shabby little postal-card stat
ing that at the freight depot of the c.
& M. Road there were some six hun
bred pounds of furniture, from New
Buffalo, consigned to my address: and
that the same had been on hand fol
several days, and that it would be vel
for me to pay the charges and remove
the aforesaid furniture at once. My
wife leaned over my shoulder and read
the postal with me. We read it again
Furniture? furnitureo New Buffalo:
We looked at each other; looked again,
and smiled. The bright thought struck
US both at the same instant. Ihave al.
ways been particular about the exact
date of that ideas rise in our minds
the bright thought struck us both q!
the same instant: namely-Uncle John.
a substantial token of regard. furni.
ture. We read the shabby little postal
once more, and once more we smiled.
Bless his dear old heart! Just like
him. always SO thoughtful! My
mothers brother, indeed! But New
Buffalo? never heard of such a place.
You understand, don't you?' !
said; " he has bought the furniture in
Buffalo, and this New Buffalo is some
suburban village where the firm has its
factory. The goods would naturally be
shipped from that point. And six hum
dred pounds! What can it be? There
does not seem to have been any serious
doubt in my mind on the score of the
charges not having been prepaid; nor
yet from the fact that [ had received
no announcement of the approach of
this formidable gift. The former
might have been due to forgetfulness-
uncle always was so forgetful in small
matters-or it might have been owing
to certain necessities of the situation.
And, as for the announcement, why, of
course the whole thing was his odd
way of giving us a surprise. And had
he not announced it? Had he not said
that he meant to see what he could do
for us? Furniture! Sir hundred
pounds! Oh, that some artist might
ha photographed for us the ex-
pressions of joy and complacency that
spread over our faces as we sat and
looked at each other, and chewed the
cud of satisfaction, and gave each
other knowing winks, and turned that
M SCRABBLE little postal for the hun
dredth time.
Come, my DEAR" cried 1, "what do
you think it is?'' And we laughed again
in our Joy.
81 am sure can not guess" she said.
"But we know it is not kitchen stove,
and it would hardly be anything for the
If I had to guess / believe
| should say-in fact, think something
seems to tell me that it is parlor furni-
ture."
"a correct observation, my dear; GER
tainlv correct. l should have said SO
myself. out wished to get the benefit
of your woman's intuition, and was
afraid that any opinion of mine thrust
forward might throw it off the track.
You know | have great confidence in
your intuition. Have l not often said
sop
Yes" she reioined, very soberly;
land if my intuition tells me anything,
il indicates parlor furniture. But then,
we must not feel too sure; it might be
a bedroom set Yet Uncle John knew
that We had one fine set. l remember
of my telling him that every
thing in our room was ours"
"You will allow, suppose, said /,
''that six hundred pounds of furniture
means several articles. If it had been
a bookcase, the postal would have said
bookcase; but nc, it uses the name of
class, not of single object. This tells
me that whatever it may be, it consists
Of several pieces. Now, how much does
that sofa weigh? A hundred pounds?
Less. ii anything, I'll warrant you.
That marble-top table can not possibly
20 over seventy-five, and each of these
easy chairs will weigh-say eighty. Let
me. see, that makes three hundred and
.hirty-fve. Wen fill in with these
chairs at fifty pounds apiece.
But see here, my dear; what would you
5hink of an elegant sideboard for the
lining room? 1t would not weigh
much. Let us put that down; yes, an
elegant sideboard; what do YOU think2'
She thought well of an elegant side
BOARD.
At this juncture Clara, having heard
our front door open at our return, came
ripping in with blush and a,smile and
spread out on my wife's lap piece after
piece of a very dainty tidy set which her
own deft fingers had fashioned, and
which my wife received with the usual
Kiss and the inevitable tears. We ad-
nired the delicate pattern and praised
again and again the cunning workman
ship. By this time both my wife and I
we're in such very genial mood that
Ne could do nothing but smile and
smile. 1t became really quite silly. [
could see by the trembling of the folds
lbout my wife's mouth that her checks
lched with smiling. There was at first,
| very charming flush of pink confusion
ingeing Clara's brow and cheek, as she
noted the very great satisfaction with
which her gifts were received. But her
quick instinct OWNED other causes.
''Whst has happened9" she cried.
aking my wife's hand; ''some pleasant
ortune, l am sure. You seem so hap
~ this evening"
My wife's eyes sparkled. She looked
o me.
'Yes, Mrs. A." l said to Clara,
lin addition to your very thoughtful
we have received another
surprise of an extremely agreeable ma
ure. Ny Uncle John who was here
asst month has sent us gift of some
We are not sure vet wheth-
n it is a parlor or a bedroom set.
lave not seen it; it's at the depot; will
'e here in the morning" Then the /
aides had another little celebration in |
he way OF kisses ard tears, while I sat
back in my chair and with such gravi-
y as l could command descanted on
he virtues, the oft-tested goodness, the
s'milk of human kindness'' |