That New Sofa

"George," said Mrs. Hall, as they were in thoir picasant sittifcg-room one evening, "I was never so much ashamed in my life as I was to-day." "Really," answered herhusband, smiling, 'ït must have been serious matter. What was it?" "Why, I oalled at Mrs, Savary's yestertoy, and she showed me her parior entirely new furnished." "You were ashamed of that, were you?" "Come now, you are laughing at me," said his wife, pouting. "I won't say another word." "If you don't,'1 suid her husband in a mocking, tragto tono. "I shall never recover rom the blow.'1 "You aro ineorrigible; hut if you had only waited a moment I would have told 'ou what it was that I was ashamed of. drs. Suvary had an eiegant sofa ; you can't ,hink how it set off the room. Bhe told me nat if she could only have one decent aricle of furniture in the room, it should be the sofa." "And jou were ashanied of her remarkï" "Of course not.'' "Then I am stül in the dark." "Why, it made me Ihink of our old-fashoned sofa, and what a contrast it was to ,he one at Mrs. Savarv's." "So it might be, if it were in the samo room with it ; but you know it is not. I am sure it is comfortable enough." "So would a feather-bed be," retorted his wife; "but I suppose you would not be in favor of putting one in the parior. But I was going to teil you that to-day Mrs. Savary called upon me. and of course I invited her into the parior. You ought to have seen the glance she cast on our old sofa." "But, as I didn't Bee it, suppose you describe it tome.' "Of course, she could not help regarding it as verysbabby, though she did not say so, for fear of hurtlng my feelings.'' "And that mado you aehamed?" "Of course it dkt. 1 don't believe there's a family in town that has got sui-h a wretehed-loolsing artiole of furuiture." "I bolicve it is vvhole, il it noti" "Yes." "The only objectimi you have to ui'g, then, is that it is old-iashtoned." "Isn't that enough?' ' "You know,'' said llie young husband, gravely, "that I havo' special reason to value that sofa. It was my mother's and some of my happicst recollections are connecti vvithit." "Well, thei-e's no olijeclion to keeping it. We could put it in otir ohamber, and buy a new ono for the parior. I saw a beautiful sofa to-day at Whitmarsh's- cost only flfty dollars, i couldu't help thinking how mucb it would set oft our parior. It would give t. certain style to it that it hasn't now!" "Fifty dollars would be a large sum for TTli. Mftrv " "Why, I am sure yoo have a salary of eight hundred dollars." "Verytrue; but ít has to be spent in a great many diftorent ways." "But it only cost us six hundred, last year." "That is because we wero vcry economical. You know il was onr ambition, or mine, ai least, to save up soinething against a rainy day. I may be sick, or a hundrea tbings may happcu.I shall grow oíd, at any rate.' 'But you know, George, it only costs fifty dollars. You could still save one hundred and fiíty. It's a good thiug to save money, I know, and 1 am as much in favor of it as you are ; but ono likes to enjoy Ufo as they go along and not deprive ihemselves of its neceasaiy comforts, just for the sake of sa ving." "So you look on the new sola in the light of a necessary comfort, do you?"' asked George, smding. "Yes," said his wife, ingcniously, "because it is necessary to my comfort. siaes, wc can easuy save the amount out of our ordinary expenses, and save up as much as we did last year." Of thls George was not fully convinced, but he saw that his wife laid it very much to heart, and flnally consentcd to go over to the furaituro warerooms the next day and look at tho coveted articlo. Mrs. Hali's eyes sparkled as he made this conclusión. She knew that, having jone thus far, he would without much difflculty be prevailed upon to purchase the sofa. George had hitherto proved a very indulgent husband, but his indulKonce, thus far, had not been sevorely taxed until his wife made the acquaintance of Mrs. Savary, a woman ot large pretensions, whose highest ambition was to make a show. Her influonce was beginning to be perceptible on her young f riend, who was easily improsfod by others. To return to our story. The next day Mrs. Hall, accompanied by her husband, visited the furniture warehouso, and desired to be shown the sofa. It was really a handsome article, as George would readily have admitted, even if he had not been volubly assured of the fact - flrst by his wife, and secondly by the clerk, who expatiated enthusiastically upon its merits. "I ani afraid," said George, wavering, ilU won't correspond with tlio rest of tli# ■ '■■■. ' "No danger of thiit," said his wife, "it wül set off tbc rest, and make theni all look handsomer." "Itmaybe so," said George, doubtfully. "I suppose you know bettcr about such Ihings than 1 do. If you are desirous of baving it, I suppose I can buy it." "Oh, George, if you only will, it will be auch a comfort!" "Then," said her husband, turning to the clerk, "you may send it to my house." "It shall be done this forenoon." The young husband took flve ten -dollar bilis from his pocket and paid thein over for the sofa. "This is the rnoney," said he, as he wa3 walking home, "that I was going to put into the savings-bank. You know thnt this is quarter-day, and for the last four I have put in tuis amount. Now, in consequence of our new purchase, I shall not be able to." "It is only for once," said his wife, "and then only eonsider how much better our parlor will look." Was it only for once? Time would show. When that sofa came home, and was instailed in the place of honor, tlie old-fashioned sofa was removed to a chamber. Somehow it did not seem to set off the room as much as it was expected to. It looked out of place, as Mrs. Hall cotild not help confessing to herself, though she was not disposed to speak of it. Theplambut neat Kidderminster carpet looked docidodly cheap in comparisoñ with il.. However, Mrs. Hall rcsolutely shut her eyes to this unpleasant fact, and continurd onthus'jstically to expatiate in praíseá of the ti,Vi sofa. She could notbe contented until Mrs. Savary had called and expreesod hor opinión oí it. This happened before long. " My dear," said that lady. takiug a critical survey of the apartmeni, 'your sufa is a handsomc onc, I acknowledge. but will you pardon my suggesting one thinir?" "Certainly, Mrs. Savary." "Then allow me to suggest that a dark Brussels carpet is neeessary to have it show to good advantage. Now this Kidderminster, I dare say, is a tolerably good one, but it couldn't have cost more tlniu a dollar a yard." "Only eighty-seven cents."' said Mrs. Hall, a little confused. "So I supposed. Well, you sec, a carpet at eighty-seven cents a yard docsn't correspond very well with a fifty dollar sofa. To teil the plain truth, the old-fashioued sofa looked more appropriate." Mts. Hall almost wished that she had never bought the new sofa: but. having dono so, slie was determinad, i f possible, to have evcry thing to corrcspo:;d. fShe was too wis'e to say auy thing about itat present, but waited until a week before the next quarter-day. Then sho began to indulge in brief hints, which at length became inore decided. At first, George would not hear of a uew carpet. He was determined not to omit his usual quarterly deposit tljis time; but at length his wife's irnportunities succeeded, aided by a lurking conviction on his own part that thore was a real incougroity between the sofa and ttic plain oarpet. The new purchase cost flfly dollars and a trifle more, which made George look a little sober; but he could not deny, as his wife said, that the room looked a good deal improved. And was this all? Byuomftnis. By the time the carpet was put down, it was discovered that the chairs, which were only cane-seated, looked quito inferior to the good company which had recently been introduced. When the next quarter-day arrived, it was found absolutely essential to purchase some black stufi'ed chairs. Aftertvards came a new minor, and a piano was hired, for even Mrs. Hall did not venture to suggest so large an outlay as the purchase would require. So the piano was brought, and somc fifty dollars ayear were paid for its use, though, by the way, it was never used, since Mrs. Hall had no esir for music; and thcrefore it served only for ornament. By the time the year was up, George found that two hundred and twenty-flve dollars had been spent lor furniture, and not one cent had been deposited in the savïngs bank. More than that, as their style of living had increased with their new furniture, which had unconsciously elevated their ideas, George found himself Bome hundred and fifty dollars in debt. At this time, or just before, the great commercial revulsión had swept over the land, and George's employers had not been spared. They had not failed, but their resources had been greatly crippled. They called him aside on the last day of the year and told him that, though they should be glad to retain him in their employ, they should be obliged to cut down his income for the year to come to six hundred dollars. He went home much depressed, as well he might be. His expenses increased, his income diminished, and a aebt to pay, which would swallow up nearly all he had laid aside in the savings bank. He at length told his wife the cause of his despondency, on her anxious solicitation. The vanity and love of show she had exhibited lay on the surface. She determined to express her sympathy in an active way. What that was I will explain. When George came home the next evening to tea, what was his astonishment to flnd a load of furniture before his door. "Can it be possible," he thou ght, "that Mary has been purchasing new furniture?" Looking more closely he observed that the new parlor sofa and other articles of furniture were included in the wagon-load. Pull of amazement he entered the house. "What's all this, Mary? What have you dono with the parlor furniture'!'' "Sold it," said his wife, composedly. "Sold it !" exclaimed George, in surprise. "Yes; 1 know that your cireumstances were not as good as thoy have been, and I thought the money would be worth more to us than the furniture. I had heard that the Walkins were about to furnish their house, and thought they might be willing to buy our furniture at a reduced pricc. Here is what I got for it." She placed in her husband:s hands a purse containing one hundred and fifty dollars. l'Mary," said he, with emotion, "you don't know how you have relieved my mind. This will just pay off our debt, and I shall not bo obliged to take the money from the bank." The year passed. Agam business revived, and with the first of January George had his salaiy raised to one thousand dollars ; but though his mcans are increased, his wife has learned a valuable lesson, and probably will bo content, for some years to come, at least, with the Old-Fashioned Sofa.