Page:Peterson magazine 1849.pdf/21

 IS IT ECONOMY?

BY T. S. ARTHUR

‘We bad been married five years, and during the time had boerded for economy's sake. Bat the addi- tion of one after another to our family, dmonished us that it was getting time to enlarge our borders; and 20 we were determined to go to housekeeping. Ta matiers of domestic economy, boih my wife and mnyself weree little green; but Ithink I was greenest of the two.

To get a house was our Grst concern, and to select forniture our next, The hous was found after two months’ diligent search, end at the expense of a good deat of precious shoe leather, Seve me from an- other siege at house-honting! I would about as soon undertake to build m suitable derelling with my own hands as to fiod one “exactly the thing” already up, and waiting with open doors fore tenant. All the really desirable houses that we found ticketed “to et,” wore at feast two prices above our limit, and moet of those within our means we would hardly havo lived in reat free.

At last, however, we found @ cosy little nost of a house, just built, and clean and neat as a new pin, from top to Botton. It suited us to aT. And now came the next most important businese—selecting furniture. My wite’s ideas had always been a little in advance of mine, That is, she liked to bave every thing of the best quality; and bad the weakness, 80 to speak, of desiring 10 make an appearance. As my income, at the time, was but moderate, and the Prospect of an increase thereof not very flattering, I felt like being execedingly prudent in all outlays for farniture,

“We must be content with things few and plain,” said I, as we sat down one morning to figure up what ‘wo must get.

“But let them be good,” eaid my wile.

“Strong and substantial,” was my reply. “Bot we can't afford to pay for a great deal of exira polish and Gillagree work.”

“T-don't want anything very extrs, Mr. Jones,” returned my wife, a litte uneasily. “Though what Ido have, { would like good. It's no economy, in the end, to buy cheap things.”

‘The emphasis on the word cheap, rather grated on my ear; (or Iwas in favor of getting everything as cheap x8 possible,

“What kind of chairs did you think of getting?” asxed Mrs. Jones,

“A handsome set of canevseat,” I replied, think- ing that in this, at Jenst, I would be even with her ideas on the subject of parlor chairs,

Bul hee face did not brighten,

What kind woald you like?” said I.

“J believe it would be more economical in the end to get good siutfed seat, mahogany chairs,” re plied Mes. Jones.

“ At five dollars a-piece, Ellen!”

“Yes, Even at five doltars a-pieos. ‘They would Just ws our life-time; white cano-soat chairs, if wo {get thom, will have to he renewed two or three times, and cost a grest deal more in the ond, without being balf #0 comfortable, or looking balf so well.”

“Sixty dollars for a dozen chairs, when very good ones can be bad for twenty-four dollars! Indeed, Ellen, we muso%t think of auch « thing We can‘s afford it. Remember, there are a great maay other things to buy.”

‘economical in the end for us to diminieh the number of articles, and add to the quality of what we do have. Iam very much like the poor woman who preferred « cup of clear, strong, fragrant coffee thres. timea a week, to a decoction of burnt rye every day, ‘What I have, I do like good.”
 * T know, dear; but I am eure it will be mach more

“And so do I, Ellen. But, as I seid before, there. will be, diminish as we may, # great many things to buy, and we must make the cost of each as small an possible, We must not think of auch extravagance 88 mahogany chairs now. At some other time we may get them.”

My wife here gave up this point, and, whag a thought a litle remarkable, made no more points on, the subject of furniture. I had everything my own way, I bought cheap to my hearl’s content. It was ‘only necessary for me to express say approval of ax article, for her to assent to its purchase.

As to patronizing your fashionable cabinet-makers ‘and high-priced upholeerers, we were not guilty of the folly, but bought at reasonable rates trom auction stores and at public sales. Our parlor carpets oo. but ninety coms a yard, and were bandsomer than those for which a lady of our aequaiatance paid = dollar thirty-eight. Our chaies were of « neat, fancy patiern, and had cost thirty dollars e dozen, We had hesitated for some time between a set at twenty-four dollars and these ; bat the eiyle being #0 much more attractive, we tet our taste govern in the election. ‘The price of our sofa was eighteen dotlars, and I thought it a really genteel affair, though my wife was mot in raplures about it. A pair of card tables for fifwen dollars, and a marble-top cenire-table for four- teen, gave our perlors quite « handsome appearance.

“1 woulda’ ask anyibing more comfortable of genteel then this,” said 1, when the parlors were all “ fixed" right,

Mes. Jones looked pleased with the appearance of things, but did not express herself extravagantly.

In selecting our charaber furniture, a bandsome dressing-bureav and French bedstead that my wife went lo look at in the wareroom of a high-priced cabinet-naker, tempted her strongly, and it was with some difficulty that I could get her ideas back to a regular maple four-poster, a plain, ten dollar bureau, ‘and a two dollar dressing-glasa, Twenty and thirty �