River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1907-12-19
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~ 20 and let her pick
out anything she wants within the linn
it of my spending capacity, and then
I'm going to let her take me around
and fix me up with pair of embroi-
dered suspenders or gold cuff links
or any old thing she likes and that
will make her happy. Neither OF us
has quite got over the effects of the
last holiday season yet.
Such a system, it seemed to me,
would be far more practical than the
miscellaneous guessing. We had been
doing with such decidedly poor re-
suits.
"You see, we had been married
just long enough last Christmas to
wear out our first installment OF fur
niture, and most of our wedding
gifts. Things were looking little
shabby around the house, so we both
agreed that in selecting our little re-
membranes for one another we ought
to confine ourselves to something
which would be mutually useful and
attractive. Both of us had been Sc
cretly longing for Morris chair, one
of those new mission things with big
leather cushions that swallow you up
in a delirium of comfort. Mrs. G.
wanted it for the beauty of the
library and her afternoon siestas and
/ wanted it for evening recreation. We
also needed new portieres, new rug.
a lamp globe and dozens OF other
things to make our happy home the
complete house beautiful" but we
were satisfied always to buy such
things one at a time, and to get what
we wanted at any price.
Months before the Christmas sea-
son I began putting by a little sum
weekly, with the Morris chair in mind.
Two weeks before the 25th 1 went
down to a dealers to look at chairs.
I had been looking casually for weeks
before, but it was not until l came
upon this particular shop that l dis
covered what l wanted. 1t was
beauty in the darkest and finest OF
weathered oak, with all attachments
and a pair of fat, greeny-brown leath'
er cushions that fairly felt like pipe
dreams, laced with leather strappings
and tied to the woodwork with
thongs. The minute | saw the chair
I knew it was for me; but the price
was rather staggering. The dealer
wanted SO for it at first, and when
1 had got him down to $50, he acted
as though he thought he were giving
the thing away. I thought it best to
hold out little, so l merely requested
that he give me days option on the
chair, and paid a small deposit for
the privilege.
Meanwhile my wife had been saving
every penny, cutting down on the
grocery bill and keeping me on cheap
meats with Christmas in view. 1t
seems that she, too, had Norris
chair on the brain. On the afternoon
of the same day on which I discover
ed my prize, she strolled into the
same shop. The first sight of the
chair was enough for her, and she
offered to buy it on the spot. The
dealer was inconsolable. He had sold
the chair, he believed, at least he had
given gentleman an option on it,
and the gentleman had paid deposit,
but if madam would leave her name
something might be done.
When my wife spelled out her cog
nomen for him ne lifted his eyebrows
in establishment That was exactly
the name and those we're the initials
of the gentleman who had already
spoken for the chair. My wife thought
for a moment. Then she controlled
her emotions and merely remarked
that such condolences were quite
common, and walked out without leav-
ing her address.
Next day l hied me to the dealers
quickly prepared to leave my order
for the chair. But the dealer did not
seem half so inclined to sell. A lady
had been there it seems-a lady of
my own name, with the same initials
odd, was it not?-who was willing
to give the full price for the article.
Then it was my turn to think. On
the whole I decided did not want
the chair after all. If Ellen wanted
to buy it, I'd let her have that pleas
ure. The man seemed glad to give
me back my deposit and that was the
last 1 saw of that Morris chair.
christmas morning we both fused
about the house eXpectantly. 1 won
dered where on earth Ellen was keep
ing my Morris chair. After breakfast
1 unloaded a pair of green portieres 1
had bought for her. AS the wrappings
came off 1 saw her face fall. Then she
went over to a corner and produced
an exactly similar bundle and unrolled
another pair of green portieres-for
me.
"'B-but,' l stammered. I thought
you bought a Morris chair!'
81! o John. didn't you buy it
after alp
"And then. in the light of our under
standing, we wept on one another's
shoulders"