, mournfully. "Chimneys smoked, paper
peeled off the walls, Mrs. P. got the rheumatics, a turner worked all
night, next door, the fellow that had previously lived or stayed in the
house, ran off, leaving all his bills unpaid, and our door bell was
incessantly kept ringing by ugly and impudent duns, and the creditors of
the rascal, whom I did not know from a side of sole leather. I lived
there in purgatory!"

"Too bad," said we. "Well, you've moved, eh?"

"Moved--and such an infernal job as it was. You know the two vases I
received as a present from my brother, at Leghorn; I wouldn't have taken
$100 each, for them--"

"They are worth it; more too."

"The carman dropped one out of his hands, broke it into a half bushel of
flinders, and I hit the centre table upon which the other stood, with a
chair, and broke it into forty pieces. But, that wasn't any thing, sir.
My wife packed up the elegant set of china presented her by her sister,
in a large clothes basket, and set it out in the hall, and while our
Irish girl and the carman were carrying out a heavy trunk, the girl lost
her balance and fell bump into the basket. She weighed over two hundred
pounds--every article of the china was crushed into powder!"

"This was too bad," said we, condolingly.

"Our carpets were torn in getting them up, for I had them put down fast
and tight, never supposing they'd come up until thread-bare and out of
fashion; they were stained and daubed. The veneering of the piano and
other furniture is scratched and torn; a hundred small matters are
mutilated. Franklin thought a few moves was as bad as a fire; one move
convinces me that the old man was right. But, my dear fellow, I won't
bore you with my miseries. We are now moved, and look comfortable again.
Call and see us, do. Good bye."

About a fortnight after meeting Perriwinkle, one evening we went up town
to see him and his lady. Mrs. P., before marriage, was an uncommon
even-tempered and most amiable woman. She had now been married about six
months. Upon entering the parlor we found Mrs. P. laboring under much
"excitement," and poor Peter--he was doing his best to pacify and soothe
her--

"Halloo! what's the trouble?"--we were familiar enough to ask the
question--as they were alone, without intruding.

"Take a seat, John," said Perriwinkle. "Mrs. P. and the cook have had a
misunderstanding. A little muss, that's all."

"Mr. Humphries," responded the irritated wife, "you don't kno