Trials and Confessions of a Housekeeper

ter, is given in what follows. After reading it, we think that few young housekeep

our family, admonished us that it was getting time to enlarge our borders; and so we were determined to go to housekeeping.

me from another siege at house-hunting! I would about as soon undertake to build a suitable dwelling with my own hands, as to find one "exactly the thing" already up, and waiting with open doors

electing furniture. My wife's ideas had always been a little in advance of mine. That is, she liked to have every thing of the best quality; and had the weakness, so to speak, of desiring to m

nd plain," said I, as we sat down one

m be good,"

ly. "But we can't afford to pay for

wife, a little uneasily. "Though what I do have, I would l

rated on my ear; for I was in favor of g

did you think of gett

in this, at least, I would be even with her ideas on the

d you like

l in the end to get good stuffed seat

llars a-pie

t chairs, if we get them, will have to be renewed two or three times, and cost a gre

wenty-four dollars! Indeed, Ellen, we mustn't think of such a thing. We

s, and add to the quality of what we do have. I am very much like the poor woman who preferred a cup of clear, s

many things to buy, and we must make the cost of each as small as possible. We must not

he subject of furniture. I had every thing my own way; I bought cheap to my heart's content. It w

our acquaintance paid a dollar and thirty-eight. Our chairs were of a neat, fancy pattern, and had cost thirty dollars a dozen. We had hesitated for some time between a set at twenty-four dollars a dozen and these; but the style being so much more attractive, we let our taste gover

able or genteel than this," said, I, w

e appearance of things, but did n

, 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-glass. Twenty and thirty doll

chen; and I was agreeably disappointed to find, after the last bill for purchases was paid,

indeed, pleasant. We could never get done talking about it

ld drop from our lips

entering the parlor, the first thing that met my eyes was a large spot of white on t

at?" I asked

the sofa lightly, when off dropped that veneer like a loose flake. I've been exam

seams that had gaped open, loose spots in the veneering, and rickety joints. I saw now, what I had

piece of furn

o buy an article like this, is little be

er piece of the veneering sloughed off, and one of the feet became loose. It was then

. A five dollar bill was expended in putting this into something like usable order and respectable aspect. By this time a new set of castors was needed for the maple four-poster, which was obtained at the expense of two dollars. Moreover, the head-board to said four-poster, which, from its exceeding ugliness, had, from the first, been a terrible eye-sore to Mrs. Jones, as wel

said Mrs. Jones, after

, indeed

would much rather have had a ha

u know they cost some thirty dollars

turning quickly toward me

bill in my desk," wa

wo dollars for castors, six for a new head-board, and ten for tester and curtains. Thirty-four dollars

somewhat aback by this array

de dressing-bureau, at Moore and Campion's, that would have

know, only co

ve the price of a handsome French, one, and we will have the sum of twenty-one dollars,-enough to purchase as handsome a dressing-bureau as I would ask. S

ot very flattering to my economical vanity. I gave i

in consequence of the back-breaking and seat-rending ordeals through which they had been called to pass. The sofa was unanimously condemned to the dining room, and the ninety cent carpet had gone on fading and defacing, until my wife said she was ashamed

I grew

furniture, let it cost what i

eapest in the end,"

new parlor and chamber furniture-mahogany chairs, French bedstead, dressing-bureau and all, and as soon as they came home,

knobs are tight; locks in prime order, and veneers cling as tightly to their places as if they had grown there. All is right and tight, and wears an

tter," said I to Mrs.

ings at once. Cheap furniture is dearest in the end. Every housekeeper ought t

own it, you

y, into my face, and smiled. When she