Trials and Confessions of a Housekeeper | Page 9

is time we re-furnished
our parlors."
"If you can afford the outlay," I remarked.
"It won't cost a great deal," he returned.
"Not over three hundred dollars," said I.
Mr. Smith shook his head as he answered: "Half that sum ought to be
sufficient. What will we want?"
"A dozen mahogany chairs to begin with," I replied. "There will be
sixty dollars."
"You don't expect to pay five dollars a-piece for chairs?" said my
husband, in a tone of surprise.
"I don't think you can get good ones for less."
"Indeed we can. I was looking at a very handsome set yesterday; and

the man only asked four dollars for them. I don't in the least doubt that I
could get them for three and a half."
"And a dear bargain you would make of that, I do not in the least doubt.
It is poor economy, Mr. Smith, to buy cheap furniture. It costs a great
deal more in the end, than good furniture, and never gives you any
satisfaction."
"But these were good chairs, Jane. As good as I would wish to look at.
The man said they were from one of the best shops in the city, and of
superior workmanship and finish."
As I make it a point never to prolong an argument with my husband,
when I see his mind bent in one direction, I did not urge my view of the
case any farther. It was settled, however, that we could afford to
re-furnish our parlors in a better style, and that in the course of the
coming week, we should go out together and select a Brussels carpet, a
sofa, a dozen mahogany chairs, a centre table, &c.
As I had foreseen from the beginning, my husband's ideas of economy
were destined to mar everything. At one of the cabinet ware-rooms was
a very neat, well-made set of chairs, for which five dollars and a half
were asked, but which the dealer, seeing that he was beyond our mark,
offered for five dollars. They were cheap at that price. But Mr. Smith
could not see that they were a whit better than the set of chairs just
mentioned as offered for four dollars; and which he was satisfied could
be bought for three and a half. So I went with him to look at them.
They proved to be showy enough, if that were any recommendation,
but had a common look in my eyes. They were not to be compared with
the set we had just been examining.
"Now, are they not very beautiful, Jane?" said my husband. "To me
they are quite as handsome as those we were asked sixty dollars for."
From this I could not but dissent, seeing which, the cunning dealer
came quickly to my husband's side of the question with various
convincing arguments, among the strongest of which was an abatement
in the price of the chairs--he seeing it to be for his interest to offer them

for three dollars and three-quarters a-piece.
"I'll give you three and a-half," said Mr. Smith, promptly.
"Too little, that, sir," returned the dealer. "I don't make a cent on them
at three and three-quarters. They are fully equal, in every respect, to the
chairs you were offered at five dollars. I know the manufacturer, and
have had his articles often."
"Say three and a-half, and it's a bargain," was the only reply made to
this by my economical husband.
I was greatly in hopes that the man would decline this offer; but, was
disappointed. He hesitated for some time, and, at last, said:
"Well, I don't care, take them along; though it is throwing them away.
Such a bargain you will never get again, if you live to be as old as
Mathuselah. But, now, don't you want something else? I can sell you
cheaper and better articles in the furniture line than you can get in the
city. Small profits and quick sales--I go in for the nimble sixpence."
My husband was in the sphere of attraction, and I saw that it would
take a stronger effort on my part to draw him out than I wished to make.
So, I yielded with as good a grace as possible, and aided in the
selection of a cheap sofa, a cheap, overgrown centre table, and two or
three other article that were almost "thrown away."
Well, our parlor was furnished with its new dress in good time, and
made quite a respectable appearance. Mr. Smith was delighted with
everything; the more particularly as the cost had been so moderate. I
had my own thoughts on the subject; and looked very confidently for
some evidences of imperfection in our great bargains. I was not very
long kept in suspense. One morning, about two weeks