Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-12-30
The New carn..

"neh one begins to make improve.
ments, one cannot tell TO what ~,
end. e'e ~ VIII
The Perkins family were a,,,oa
Inc too munifcent grandmamma was
ABOUT to present them with a newca,-
pet' and a general hilarity pervaded
.he household. Papa alone foresee.
ing IN his prudent mind a train "a
iosieai sequences. feebly protested
against the extravagance "Rnt
'ohn' said the gracious mistress .,
tue household, sit is a present from
your mother. How can you call it an
ealraVasance9 A new carpet! Mrs
PERKINS forthwith pictured the abso.
lutte necessity OF a total renoyation !,
their domestic tabernacle. 1t was
OBVIOUS that certain deficiencies did
exist there. eve must have these
Things attended to, John,n said The
gracious lady. "How will thew look
with the new carpet?" "Very we'll in
aeed, my. dear. ] think, I" said Mr.. Per.
kins, ANNUALLY. q
mr.. Perkins came home one NIGHT
70 lind his hearth dismantled 6is
lares and Penates huddled toeether
IN an upper room, and all his woman.
KIND IN the full fury OF iconoclasm
each armed with whitewash brnsi,
and nail of uafo. s,.la.,-:
parlor walls. ''o
Whatl' cried Mr.. Perkins. stand
ing ashast at this mystic rite, "what
are you all doing?"
why, John, composedly renlie,,
ms wife, not suspending her assidnitv
I'VE must get this paper of, you know
De ore the new onegoes on. I'm sorry
theres no supper for you, but /
thought, OF course, you'd dine at the
cruz, as We arranged this morning.
lou might as well make some perms-
nent arrangement of the sort. for il
VIII be weeks before we can use the
dining-room."
why, what's the matter there?'
said poor Mr.. perkins; 1--WE aren't 90.
ing to put any new carpet in that
room"
81 wish we were" sighed Mrs. Per-
klns; I'VE really need one there more
than anywhere else, but YOU know /
told you, John, this morning. that the
roof OF the dining-room leaked like n
sieve, and the paper is entirely ruined
and the plastering must be repaired
before it can be papered. Besides,
Bridget says the kitchen floor must he
painted. She won't scour it ANYMORE,
she says. And. John, the skylight
leaks, and Mr.. Mason says two states
are off the rolf. He's going to send a
slater tomorrow and composition
roofer to mend the dining room, and
then, dear, while We are about it,
don't you think something should be
done about the back yard, so as not
TO run up a separate bill for that?"
Mrs. Perkins paused in her splashing
and looked at her husband with the
most innocent confidence.
Here, however, Aunt Betsey broke
In with an energetic sniff ofdisapprov.
al. WED better fix the inside before
We go outdoors. What worries me is
that awful entry carpet. It's worse
than the one in the dinius-room, and
where every body can see it, too. AND
that ragged thing on the stairs. It's
a mercy we don't break orr necks
every day."
Papa, DEAR" says Josephine, who
had been waiting for chance to speak
IN her turn, aren't you going to do
something about the chandeliers
They are really disreputable, you
know, and will look worse than
ever when our new moulding
is up"
"A new moulding, child" says papa,
making feeble stand, "what are you
talking about? 1t is out of the 9ues-
tor"
'Ahl" says Aunt Betsey.
"0hp' SAYS Josephine.
Nonsense, joint" says the graz
cions lady.
But we'er to have a new cover
for Pink's cushion" pipes up little
Jane. "Poor pussy, it's been so incon-
venient tor her to have no place to be
comfortable in but your big chair"
'.And, papa" says Josephine, "why
can't we have new picture in the
parlor? You know you wouldn't
get me that statuette in plate-mall |
wanted so much, and so you will have
all the money you would have spent
for that to get the lovely etching we
saw at Goupil's the other day"
Aunt Betsey winks at mamma and
says aside
dom say anything obout pictures
till we are sure of the stair-carpet.
Mamma returns, quietly 1--WE shall
get that out of the old carpet sent to
auction; / don't believe John has
thought oil that"
Then" says Aunt Betsey, ominous.
iy, I'VE must have booking for the
back room. The carpet won't last
without it."
Gracious lady" says papa, with
all difference to your superior ludg-
ment, left me submit that at this rate
we shall have to sell our house to pay
the bills"
But, John" says mamma, "the
house will sell SO much better. Mr..
Wllberforce says we shall get a thous-
and more for it III consequence OF these
repairs. youths Companion.