Miscellany: If We Only Had A Piano

'This is pleasnnt,' exclaimed the yung husband,taking his seatcosily in the rocking chair, as ihe tea-things were removed. The fire glowed in the grate, revealinga preftily and ne.itly finished sitting room. wilh all the appliances of comfort. - The fatiguing business of the day was over, and he sat enjoying, what he had all day been anticipating, the delighis of his own fireside. il is pretty wiie Esther, took her work and sat down by the table. 'It is pleasant to havo a home of one's own,' he said, again taking asatislactorysurvey of his snug linie quarters. - The cold rain beat against the windows, and he thought he telt really grateful for all present comforts. 'Now f we only had a piano!' said the wife. 'Give me the music of yoursweet voice before all the pianos in creation,' he declared complimentarily, despite a certain secret disappointment ihat his wife's thankfuluess dïd not happily chime with his own. 'Welijbut we want one forour friends,' said Esther. 'Let our friends come and see us and not to hear a piano!' exclaimed the husband. 'But, George, every body has a piano, now-a-days - wedon't goany where without seeing a piano,' persisted the wife. 'And yet I don't know what we want one for; you will have no time toplay on one, and I don't like to hear it.' 'Why they are so fashionable- I think our room looks really naked without one.' 'I think it looks just right.' 1 think it looks very naked - we want a piano shockingly,' protcsíed Esther, omphatically. The husband rocked violently. 'Your lamp stnokes, mydear,' he said, after a long pause. 'When are you going io get an astral lamp? I have told you a dozen times how much wo need one,' said Esther pettishly. 'Those wil] do.''Butyou know overy body, now-a-days, wants astral lamps.' 'Those lamps are the prettiest of the kind I ever saw - they were bought at Boston.' 4But George. I do not think our room is complete without an astral lamp,'sad the wife sharply : 'they are so fasliionable; why, the D s, and the B s, and A s, all have th'em. 1 am sure we ought to.' 'We onght to if we take pattern by other people's expenses, and I don't see any reason for that.' The husband moved uneasily in his chnir. 'We must live within our means. Estlier, exclaimed George. 'I am sure I should think we could afford it as well as the B s, and L s, and many others we might inention, we do not wish to appear mean.' George's cheek crimsoned. 'Mean! I am not mean!' he cried angrily. 'Then you do not wish to appear so,' said the wife. 'To complete this room, and mako it like other's, we want a piano and an astral lamp.' 'We want - we want!' muttered thehusband;there's no satisfyingwotnan's wants, do whut you may!' and lie abruptly left the room. How many husbands are in n similar dilemma! How many homes and husbnnds are rendered uncomfortable by the constant dissatisfaction of n wife wilh present comforts and present provisions. How many bright prospects for business have cnded in bankruptcy and ruin, in order to satisfy this secret hankering after fashionable necessaries. If the cause of many a failure could be made known, it would be found to result from useless ex)cnditure at home - expenses to answer the demands of fashion, and 'what people say of us?' 'My wife has made my fortune,' said a gentleman of great possessions, 'by her thrift., prudence and cheerfulness, when ] wns first bpginning.' 'And mine has lost my fortune,' answer ed his companion bhlerly, 'by useless extra vaga nee, and repitiing when I was doing well.' What a world dors this open to ihe infinence which a wife pos.sesses over the future prosperity of her family! Let the wife know her influence, andtryto use it wisely and well. Be satisfied to commence small. It is too common for young huuse-keepers to begin whère thei.r mothers ended. Buy all that is necessary to work skilfully with, adorn your houses with all that will render it cómfoftablé. Do not look at richer homes and covet thêircostly fu rn Uure. If secret JissaUsfaction is readv to spring up, go a step furlher and visit ihe homes of the poor and suflering; behold dark, clieerless apartments,insuflicient clothing an absence of the comforts and refinement.s of socia! liie: then return with a joyful spirit. Yuu wil! then be preparee to meet your husband with a gratefu heart, and be ready to appreciate that toi and self-denial which he has endured in his business world to surround you with all the delights of home; then you will be rcady to co-operate cheerfully with hiin in so arranging your expenses, that his mind will not be constamly harrassed witl fears lest family expenditures may en croach upon public payments. Be independent; a young house-keepe never needed greater moral courage thai she doesto resist the arrogance of foshion. Do not let the A s, and B s decide what you must have.neither let them hold thestrings of your purse. You best know what you enn and ought to affbrd; then decide with sfrict integrity according to your means. Let not the censures or the npprova! (if he world ever tempt you to buy what you hardly think you can afIbrd. It matters liltle what they think, provided you are truo toyourself and your family. Thus pursuingan independent.-etraight forward, consistent course of action, there will spring up peace and joy around you. Salisfied and happy yourself, you will makeyour husband so, and your children will feel the warm and sunny influence. Happy at home, your husband can go out into the world with a clear head and selfrelying spirit; domestic bickering will not sour his heart, and he will return to you again with a confiding and unceasing love. Depend upon it, beauty, grace, wit, accomplishment, have far less to do with fumily comfort, than prudence, economy, thrift and good sense. A husband may get tired of admiring, but never with the cotnfortable consciousness that his receipts exceed bis demanda. Mr. Holmes ufS. C. in his speech in Uonrrotss upon Uie annexation quystion. gravely urged tlu; acquiciüon of t inake room Tor ihclutnre slave popuiation of the Country. In lialf u century he esiimaied the iucrciiscol' the number of sliives t 20,000,000. Only ihink of twenly milliona of bondmen in this modle of a free RepubHc!