urrency; so we soon had the provisions moved into
the kitchen. Then the senior truckman kindly consented to dispose of an
old tarpaulin, at about twice the price of a piece of velvet carpet of
similar size, and this we spread upon the parlor floor while the
furniture should be brought in. Sophronia assumed the direction of
proceedings, but it soon became evident that she was troubled.

"The room, evidently, was not arranged for this furniture," said she.

And she spoke truthfully. We had purchased a lounge, a large
centre-table, an _etagere_, a Turkish chair, two reception chairs,
four chairs to match the lounge, a rocker or two, an elegant firescreen,
and several other articles of furniture, and there was considerable
difficulty experienced, not only in arranging them, but in getting them
into the parlor at all. Finally, the senior truckman spoke:

[Illustration: A BRIGHT WELCOME SEEMED TO EXTEND ITSELF FROM THE WHOLE
FACE OF THE COTTAGE.]

"The only way to git everythin' in, is to fix 'em the way we do at the
store--set 'em close together."

He spoke truly; and Sophronia, with a sigh, assented to such an
arrangement, suggesting that we could rearrange the furniture afterward,
and stipulating only that the lounge should be placed in the front of
the room. This done, there were three-and-a-half feet of space between
the front of the lounge and the inside of the window-casings.

We can, at least, sit upon it and lose our souls in the dying glories of
the sun upon the eternal hills, and--"Gracious, Pierre, where's the
piano to go?"

Sure enough; and the piano was already at the door. The senior truckman
cast his professional eye at the vacant space, and spoke:

"You can put it right there," said he. "There won't be no room fur the
stool to go behind it; but if you put the key-board to the front, an'
open the winder, you can stand outdoors an' play."

Sophronia eyed the senior truckman suspiciously for a moment, but not
one of his honest facial muscles moved, so Sophronia exclaimed:

"True. And how romantic!"

While the piano was being placed I became conscious of some shocking
language being used on the stairway. Looking out I saw two truckmen and
the headboard of our new bedstead inextricably mixed on the stairs.

"Why don't you go on?" I asked.

The look which one of the truckmen gave me I shall not Forget until my
dying day; the man's companion remarked that when (qualified) fools
bought furniture for su