The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-11-07
THE OLD SOFA.
BY CAROLINE F. PRESTON.

BY CAROLINE F. PRESTON.
'George," said Mrs. Eall, as they
were in their pleasant sitting-room one
evening. II was never 80 much ashamed
in my life as | was to-day"
6, eally," answered her husband,
smiling, 'it must have been q serious
matter. What was itl"
"Nh by, called at Mrs Savary's ycster
day, and she showed me her parlor en-
tirely new furnished"
$50 you were ash; med of that, were
you:'
Come now, you are laughing at me, u
said his wife, poutiug. ~ won't say
another word"
''lf you don't" said her husband in i
mocking, tragic tone, IL shall never re,
cover from the blow"
"lou are incorrigible; but if you hao
only waited moment, would have
tod you what it was that I was asha ned
of. Mrs. Savary had an elegant sof.
you can't think how it set oil the room
She told me that if she could only have
one decent article of furniture in the
room, it should be the sofa.
Sand you were ashamed of her re.
msrk2'
"Of course not"
'sThen l am still in the dark"
l. 80 "Why, it made me think of our old,
fashioned sofa, and what a contrast ii
was to the one at Mrs. Savary's."
$50 it might be, ii it were in the same
soom with it; but you know it is not.
am sure it is comfortable enough"
$50 would feather-bed be-" retorted
his wife; ''but I suppose you would not
be in favor of putting one in the parlor.
But was going to tell you that to-day
Mrs. Savary called upon me, aud OF
course | invited her into the par;or. You
ought to have seen the glance she cast on
our old sofa.'
"But, as l didn't see it, suppose you
describe it to mt"
~. ''Of course, she coi:ld not help regard.
ing it as very shabby, though she did not
say so, for fear of hurting my feelings"
''And that made you ashaued"
''Gf course it did. l don't believe
there's family in town that has got
such a wretched looking article of furni-
ture"
81 believe it is whole, is it not?"
"1es."
''The only OBJ ..ection You h,ve to urge,
then, Is that it is o.d- ashioucd.'
''lsn't that enough"
"Iou KNOW" said the young hus.
band, gravely, that l have specia
reason to value that sofa. 1t was my
mothers, and some of my happiest recol
lections are come csed with it,"
''Well, there's no objection to keeping
1t. We could put it in our chamber,
and buy new one for the parlor / saw
abeautiful sofa to day at Whtmarsh's-
cost only fifty dollars I couldn't heir
thinking how mHch it would set oil ouI
parlor. 1t would give certain style to
it that it hasn't now
iitty dollars would be large sum fol
me, Mary"
Why, am sure you have salary of
eight hundred dollars"
-, cry true. but it has to be spent in a
great many di erent ways"
''But it only cost us six hundred last
year"
THAT is because We were very eco
nomical. You know it was our ambi-
tien, or mine, at least. to save up some.
thing against rainy day. may be sick,
or q hundred things nay happen.
shall grow old at any rate"
'But you know, George, it only costs
fifty dol ars. You could still save one
hundred and fifty. lisa good thing tc
save money, know, and l am as much
in favor of it as you are; but one likes
to enjoy life as they go along and not
deprive themselves of its necessary com
forts Just for the sake Of faving."
$50 you look on the new sofa in tho
Light of necessary comfort, do you2'
asked George, smiling.
eyes" said his wife ingeniously,
''because it is necessary to my comfort.
Besides, we can easily save the amour,
out of our ordinary expenses, and save
up as much as we did last year"
Of this George was not fairly con
vinced, but he saw that his wife laid il
very much to heart, and finally consented
to go ovor to the furniture wareroon
the next day, and look at the covete'
article. MIS-. Halls eyes sparkIed as he
made this conclusion. She knew that
having gone thus lar, he would without
much lifi' ulty he prevailed upon tc
purchase the sofa. George had hitherto
proved very iudul.ceat husband, but
his indulgence, thus far, had not beer
severely taxed un.il his wife made IN,
acquaintance of Mrs. savary, a woman
of large pretensions, whose highest am
bition was to make show. Her in
huence was beginning to be perceptibl
on her young friend, who was easily i'm
pressed by others.
To return to our story. The next da
Mrs. Hall, accompanied by her husband
visited the furniture warehouse, and de
sired to be shown the sofa. 1t wa
really handsome article, as Georg
would readily have admitted, even if h
had not been volubly assured of the fac
first by his wife, and secondly by tn
clerk, who expatiated enthusiasticall
upon its merits.