The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-04-15
THAT SILVER SET.
Aunt James Coveted Legacy That
Never Came.


Aunt Jane were to die should not be
a bit surprised if she left Us that old
fashioned set of silver that belonged 10
my Grcat-Eraui iparcats-"
1T is a very handsome set" l re-
turned, glancing about our modest din
ing room, ''aud viii hardly accord with
our furniture"
1t wouldn't look at all well with
that sideboard," returned my wife,
promptly. 1T IS so odrcadfully shabby
oh. OF course mean the sideboard, not
the silver. Don't be so smart"
= suppose. then. If such thing were
to happen you'd have to have new
sidcboard."
She nodded complacently.
Il saw such = lovely one down town
to-day-antique oak. beautifully carved
/ do admire oak 50 much
But the rest OF the furniture IS wal
NUT l objected
walnut is altogether out of style,
especially for dining-roomS." she re
piled. with Il disdaiuful glance at the
chairs which we had once found very
good TO look at; ''and, alt4r all, the
eilcbOard Is by so much the most cX-
uensive piece of furniture in a dining
room that it doesn't cost much more TO
get a whole set than just that one
piece. And even q walnut sideb0ard,
new. would not look well with those
chairs and this table"
/ said nothing, and the tacit sur
render was accepted by my wife
Thenccforth it was understood that If
Aunt Jane should bequeath Us the sill
yer, we We're to purchase a new set OF
dining-roOm furniture.
The next evening. as we were again
at dinner, my wife remarked:
Il have been looking At carpets to-
day, and saw one that just suits me;
rich and subdued. you know, but not
dingy."
Carpets" I repeated, in some sur
prise. Il didn't know that there was
one needed this season"
Why, stupid" rejoincd my wife,
petulantly land the emphasis was all
upon the pet name). did we not agrde
that the dining-room must be rcfur-
nished? Aud this carpet is so old and
worn OF course it would not do at all
with new furniture
Again acquicsccd silently, and she
proceeded TO make plans for meeting
lac the next day to examine and choose
the carpet and furniture to he pur-
chased later on Well, If my wife's re
lations left her handsome silver, l
must. Of course, provide things in keep
ing with IL
She met me, according TO appoint
ment, and, having inspected the arti-
cles, gave me to understand that my
taste was so eXccrable rs not 10 merit
4 moments consideration. and announc-
ing her own choice, suggested. cOolly:
And now lets go look at the wall
paper.
''Of course: the room must Jc rcpa-
pered If II Is refurnishcd. As for the
woodwork, / suppose there is no help
for that; it viii just have TO be re-
grained. Can they make that natural
wood finish on wood that has been
Paintede"
/ stared aghaSt; that silver waS going
to cost ne a pretty sum. But ! was
helpless, entirely SO; my wife had made
up her mind.
That evening she was much elatcd
at the prospect OF being surrounded by
such things as she had that day selected.
There was but one cloud on her hori-
zon.
THE dining-room Will be nicer than
the parlors, " she remarked, pIaintively;
Il am afraid that they viii really look
shabby"
said nothing, hoping that if she
were not contradicted she would not
pursue the subject further
Vain hope! She had fixed it in her
own mind that silence gave consent,
and when l came home the next even
ing had assumed that the parlors We're
to be newly fitted
Don't YOU think" she said, coax
ingly, that as long as the parlorS and
dining-room are to be torn up, and we
are to have the painters and paper
hangers here, we might as well have
the whole house done? 1t would be
very little more trouble, and then it
would all look nice together"
1T would be considerably more ex-
pensive,'' l demonstrated, family.
You might draw the money out of
the building association" she sug-
gested, and then l knew that our saw
ings in that institution were doomed.
Aunt Jane fingered long time. In
justice to my wife l must admit she had
become oblivious of the fact that all
these improvements depended upon n
legacy which could only be possessed
after the death of her venerable rela-
tive.
\ day or so after she had decided
hat the house was to be thoroughly
renovated my wife said to me:
Il have been examining the parlor
carpets, and / find that by using the
best parts of both, and buying wide
border, ! can get quite new carpet
for our bedroom, absolutely unworn. "
''Indeedi' / remarked, with pleased
surprise; there was one thing that she
would not want anyhow
Yes, and the carpet that is now on
it has enough good 10 cover the chill
dren's room, if i put the worn part un-
der the bed Or maybe I'd better put
that on the spare room" She added, re-
flectively, ''and give that one to the
children. Theirs gets such hard wear
that an old one Will not last any time
hardly"