St. Landry democrat., 1889-02-02


cal survey OF the apar tment, "your sofa is
handsome one, acknowledge, but will
you pardon my suggesting one thinga"
"Certalnly, Mrs. Savary.n :.
"Then allow me to suggest that a dark
Brussels carpet is necessary to have it
show to good advantage. Now this Kidder-
minister, dare say, is tolerably good one,
but it couldn't have cost more than dollar
ayard."
"Only elghty-seven cents" said Mrs
Hall, little confused
$50 supposed. Well, you see, carpet
at eighty-seven cents yard doesn't CORE
spond very well with fifty dollar sofa. To
tell the PLAIN truth, the old-fashioned sofa
looked more appropriate"
Mrs. Hail almost wished that she mad
never bought the new sofa, but, having
done so, she was determined, if possible,
to have every thing to correspond. She was
TOO wise to say any thing about it at present,
but waited until a week before the next
quarter-oay.
Then she began to indulge IN brief hlnGs,
which at length became more decided. At
first, George would not hear Of a new car
pet. He was determined not to omit his
usual quarterly deposit this time; but at
length his wife's opportunities succeeded,
aided by a lurking conviction on his own
part that there was real incongruity be-
tween the sofa and the plain carpet. The
new purchase cost fifty dollars and trif1e
more, which made George look d little
sober; but he could not deny, as his wife
said, that the room looked a good deal
improved.
And was TINS ali! BY no means.
By the time the carpet was put down, 1t
was discovered that the chars, which were
only cane-seated, looked quite inferior to
the good company which had recently been
introduced. When the next quarter-day
arrived, it was found absolutely essential
to purchase some black stuffed chairs. Aft
erWards came new mirror, and piano
was hired, for even Mrs. Hall did not vent
ure to suggest SO large an outlay as the
purchase would require. So the piano was
brought, and some fifty dollars year were
paid for its use, though, by the way, it was
never used, since Mrs Hall had. no ear for
music; and therefore it served only for
ornament.
By the time the year was up, George
found that two hundred and twenty-five
dollars had been spent for furniture, and
not one cent had been deposited in the saw
ings bank. More than that, as their style
of living had increased with their new fur
niture. which had unconsciously elevated
their ideas, George found himself some
hundred and fifty dollars IN debt. At this
time, or just before, the great commercial
revulsion had swept over the land, and
Georges employers had not been spared.
They had not failed, but their resources
had been greatly crippled They called
hun aside on the last day of the year and
told him that, though they should be glad to
retain him in their employ, they should be
obliged to cut down his income for the year
to come to six hundred dollars. He went
home much depressed, as well he might be.
His expenses increased, his income dimin-
ished, and debt to pay, which would swal-
low up nearly all he had laid aside in the
savings bank.
He at length told his wife the cause of his
dependency, on her anxious solicitation
The vanity and love of show she had exhibited
lay on the surface. She determined to ex-
press her sympathy in an active way. What
that was will explain.
When George came home the next even
ing to tea, what was his establishment to
find load OF furniture before his door.
''Can it be possible" he thou ght, shat
Mary has been purchasing new furnitures"
Looking more CLOSELY ue OUSefVcu Iuat tuo
new parlor sofa and other articles of fur
niture were included in the wagon-load.
Full of amazement he entered the house.
"Whats all this. Marya What have you
done with the parior furniture!'
'Sold it, said his wife, composed)y.
s'So!d i'll" exclaimed George, in surprise.
eyes; 1 knew that your circumstances
were NOT S good as they have been, and I
thought the money would be worth more to
US than the furniture. 1 had heard that the
Watkins were about to furnish their house,
and thought they might be willing to buy
our furniture at a reduced price. Here is
what got for it,
She placed in her husbands hands a
purse containing one hundred and fifty dol
lars.
MARY" said he, with emotion, "you don't
know how you have relieved my mind
This will just pay off our debt, and I shall
not be obliged to take the money from the
bank"
The year passed. Again business re.
vived, and with the first of January George
had his salary raised to one thousand dol
lars; but though his means are increased,
his wife has learned valuable lesson, and
probably will be content, for some years to
come, at least, with the Old Fashioned Sofa
Caroline f. Preston, in Yankee Blade.