River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-08-10
MY WIFE'S LEGACY.
Why We Didn't Get a New House
and Furniture.

reader will kindly consider every second
word printed in small caps or italics, he
will have some faint idea of her manner
of expressing herself.
1T is a very handsome set" re-
turned, glancing about our modest din
ing-room. .'and viii hardly accord with
our furniture"
ut wouldn't look at all well with
that sideboard," returned my wife,
promptly, Its so very shabby-Oh. Of
course, / mean the sidebOard, not the
silver
Il suppose then. if such thing We're
to happen, you would want new side
board.
She nodded
Il saw a lovely one down town to-
day; antique oak. beautifully carved l
do admire oak so much"
..Eut the rest Of the furniture is wal
nut ] objected.
Walnut Is altogether out of style"
she said with disdainful glance at the
chairs which we had once admired;
t'and debOard is so much the most
expensive piece OF furniture in a dining
room that IL doesn't cost much more tn
get a whole set than just that one
piece. And even a walnut sideboard,
new, would not look well with these
chairs and this table"
said nothing and the tacit surrender
was accepted by my wife ThencefOrth
II was understood that if Aunt Jane
should bequcath US the silver. we We're
to purchase a new set of dining-roOm
furniture.
The next evening. as we were again
at dinner, NV wife remarked:
- have been looking at carpets to-
day, and saw one that just suits me;
rich and sub-lucti. You know
Carpets, I repeated, in some sur
prise. Il didn't know that there was
one needed this season"
why, stupid rejoined my wife,
petuIantly 1.-THE emphasis was all upon
the pet naInel. did we not agree that
the dining-rOOm must he refurnished?
And this carpet is - old and worn. of
course il would not do with all new
furniture
Again acquiesced silently. and she
prOceeded 10 make plans for meeting
me the next day, To eNa mine and choose
the carpet and furniture 10 be pur-
chased later on. Wei, if my wife's re-
latiOn5 left her hands, me silver. must,
OF course, pro vide things in keeping
with il.
She met me according to appoint
ment. and. having inspected tne arti-
cles. gave me To understand that my
taste was 50 execrabie a. not to merit
a moments consideration, aud, an
nouucing her own choice, suggested
cOOlly;
And now let us 80 and look at the
wall papers"
"Wan papers" ! echoed.
s'Of course the room must be re-
papered if 1t is refurnished- As for the
Woodwork. I suppose there Is no help
for that, it viii just have To be re-
grained. Can tI.ey make that natural
wood finish on wood that has been
painted2'
stared aghast; that silver was going
TO cost me a pretty sum- But I was
helpless. entirely 80; my WIFE had made
up her mind
That evening she was much elated at
the prospect of being surrounded by
such things as she had that day Sc
lected There was but one cloud on her
HORIZON.
1.-The dining-rOom will be nicer than
the parlOrs," she remarked plaintively;
I'm afraid they will look shabby"
said nothing. hoping that IL she
We're not contra. licted she would not
pursue the subject further. Vain hope.
She had fixed it in her own mind that
silence gave consent. and when I came
home the next evening had assumed
L. L. - 4
up.
Don't Won think" she said coaxing-
". that as long a the parlOrs and
dining-rOom arr To b. torn up. and we
are TO have the painters and paper
hangers here, we might Is well have
the whole house done? II would be
very little more trouble. and then it
will all look nice together, you know. "
1t would be considerably more ex-
pensive. 7 demonstrated.
You might draw the money out of
the building association" she sug-
gested
Our savings in that institution are
doomed / said To myself.
aunt Jane fingered a long time. Ia
Justice to INV wife. must admit she
had become Oblivious of the fact that
all these improvements depended upon
legacy which could only be pos essed
after the death of her venerable reia-
tive
A dav or 50 after she had decided
that the house was 10 be- thoroughly
renovated my wife said to me:
Il have bceu examining the parlOr
carpets and find by using the best parts
OF both. and buying wide border,
can get quite new carpet for our bed
nom
"oau You. iudcej,'' remarked with
pleased surprise.
There was one thing that she would
not want. anyhow.
Yes. and the carpet that i now on
IL has in il enough good To cover the
children's room, Il put the worn part
under the bed. ON maybe I'd better
put that on the children's room" she
added. reficctively. and give that one
"a the children. Theirs gets such hard
wear that an old one win not last any
time"
True
AS long as we don't have 10 buy a
bedroom carpet" she remarked, insin-
uatingiv don't You think we might
hav, a new set of furuiture2F
NO" savagely.
She burst into tears and called me q
heartless monster. To pacify her had
20 promise the furniture. together with
a new silk and sealskin. that the
mistress Of the house might be as tine
a. her dwelling.
1T does seem a shame. she said a
few days afterwards, Ito spend 50 much
money On this old house. That's very
handsome and expensive paper that we
looked at. and TO substitute an arch
way for the folding doors will cost
something
IAN archway.' gasped-
This was the first that had heard Of
such thing But my wife sailed right
ON, uuheeding my exclamation
And then those lovely carpets cut
up To- III these small roOms, to-.
Yes il j, a shame I replied. hard
IL crediting my senses.
Not all hal been lost, shough much
bad been in danger.
II am 81 glad that You think so. re-
turned mr. wife. brissSly. Il was 50
sure you f, 7uld aErce with me that it