Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-04-13
THAT NEW SOFA.
The Valuable Lesson 1t Taught
the PossessOr.

"Ceorge." said Mrs. Hall, as they were IN
their pleasant sittfng-room one evening, II
YVES never so much ashamed in my life as
was to-day"
Really" answered her husband, smiling,
'1t mast have been a serious matter. What
was it,"
'.Why, called at Mrs. Savary's yester-
day, and she showed me her parlor entirely
new furnished"
You were ashamed of that, were your'
"Jome now, you are laughing at me-"
sail his wife, pouting. 81 won't say another
word"
'If YOU DON'T" said her husband in a
from Tue blow"
'You are incorrigible; but if you had
only waited moment 1 would have told
you what it was that l was ashamed Of.
Mrs Savary had IN elegant sofa, you can't
ia i5 how il set off the room. She told me
tn.t # she could only have one decent ar
lie OF iarniture in the room, it should be
tn acla."
I'D you were ashamed of her remarkF'
'..i curse not"
l.u am still in the dark "
".ihy, it made me think Of our old-fash-
iored sofa, and what a contrast 1t was to
the one at Mrs. SavarY's."
$50 it might be, if it were in the same
room with it; but you know it is not l am
sure it is comfortable enough"
$50 would a teather-be bed be-" retorted his
wife; 'but l suppose you would not be in
favor of putting one in the parlor. But
was going to tell you that to-day Mrs.
Sayary called upon me- and of course
invited her into the parlor. You ought to
have seen the glance she cast on our old
sofan
''But as didn't see it, suppose you de-
scribe it to men
"Of course, she could not help regarding
it rs very shabby though she did not say
so, for fear of hurting my feelings"
'And that made you ashamed"
"Of course it did. l don't believe there's
q family in town that has got such a
wrctchedloolling article of furniture"
~ believe it is whole, is it not'"
eyes"
'"The only objection you have to urge,
then, is that it is old-fashloned.'
"Isn't that enough"
"You know" said the young husband,
gravely, "that l have special reason to
value that sofa. 1t was my mothers and
some of my happiest recolections are con-
nected withit"
"Wel, there's no objection to keeping it.
We could put it in our chamber, and buy a
new one for the parlor l saw a beautiful
sofa to-day at Whitmarsh's-cost only fifty
dollars / couldn't help thinking how much
it would set off our parlor 1t would give a
certain style TO it that it hasn't now|"
''Fify dollars would be large sum for
me. Mary"
"Why, am sure you have salary of
eight hundred dollars"
"Vory true; but it has to be spent in
great many different ways.n
"But it only cost US six hundred, last
year"
"That is because wo were very economi-
cal. You know il was our ambition, or
mine, at least, to save rp something against
a rainy day. l may j'o sick, or a hundred
things may happen,i shall grow old, at any
rate
"But you know, George, it only costs fifty
dollars You coua 7,Di save one hundred
and fifty. It's pola ming to save money,
know, and am as Euch in favor of it as
you are; but one likes to enjoy life as they
go along and not deprive themselves of its
necessary comforts, just for the sake of
saving.n
$50 you look on the new sofa in the light
of necessary comfort, do youF' asked
George, smiling.
"Yes,n said his wife, ingeniously, "be-
cause it is necessary to my comfort. Be-
sides, we can easily save the amount out of
our ordinary expenses, and save up as much
us we did last year,
OF this George was not fully convinced,
but he saw that his wife laid it very much
to heart, and finally consented TO go over 10
the furniture warerooms the next day and
look at the coveted article. Mrs. Halls
eyes sparkled as he made this conclusion
She knew that, having gone thus far, he
would without much difficulty be prevailed
upon to purchase the sofa. George had
proved very indulgent husband
but his indulgence, thus far, had not been
severely taxed until his wife made the ac-
Quaintance of Mrs. Savary, woman of
large pretenslons, whose highest ambition
was 10 mako show. Her influence was
TO be pcrceptibe on her young
friend, who was easily impressed by others.
To return TO our story, The next day
Mrs. Hall, accompanied by her husband,
visited the furniture warehouse, and de-
sired 10 be shown the sofa. 1t was really a
handsome article, as George would readily
have admitted, even il he had not been vol.
ubly assured Of the first by his wife,
and secondly by the clerk, who expatiated
enthusiastically upon its merits.
Il am afruid,n - raid George. wnverinc Wt
y'o corrrgaal Gil t.t ts. "a a.
a.. .tlo'
Concluded on fourth page,)