Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1883-08-23
Selected Sfo'y.
THE BREAKDOWN.

THE BREAKDOWN.
He ought to have married Il WON,
an of mind old Mrs. Alwyn said, II
speaking of her son and his wife
There's nothing in poor Martha, II
seems to me. I'm sure she don't ever
appreciate his sermons
Then people would sigh and shake
their heads, for Chaucer Alwyn wrote
such poetical sermons that the wom'
an who did not appreciate them must
be dull indeed. And somehow they
liked to think that the little woman
with red cheeks and the talent for
puddings. who kept herself and her
house SO tidy, and who had dawned
upon them, to their surprise when
they expected bachelor pastor, was
got the wife that gentleman should
have taken to himself.
As for old Mrs. Alwyn, she bellev-
ed the earth bore the weight of no
greater genins than her son, and that
he might have set it abla2e with his
performance had he chosen the prop
er Lelpmcet. TO her, alao, Martha
had come as a great surprise. She
had no thought that her son would
marry until she chose wife for him.
And Miss Simpson, the maiden "a iy
who wrote poetry, was once heard to
say as she came out of church;
And to think that a man who can
preach such sermon should have a
wife wholly without brains'
lie seems very well contcnted
with her, though, replied the friend
to whom she spoke.
THAT man. replied Miss Simpson
has a heavenly nature. He'd hide
his feelings if they killed him.
But why did he choose her if he
wasn't snted :
Oh. she came round him when he
was mere boy replied Miss Simp-
son. They went to school together.
T have heard, and they were married
the day before lie was ordained he
did not know what lie needed in Il
wife then and Miss Simpson rolled
Der eyes in a way which implied that
ne knew now. and that a certain lad,
would have suite him.
They had been married three
wears, and ther, had been no chll
iren, but now Mrs. Alwyn WAS devo
ting her attention to little bits OF
embroidery that looked like portions
of a dolls wardrobe. A cradle with
pink drapery had been installed IN q
corner of the spare bedroom. 70 ing
Mrs. ALVIN would soon have q new
object with which to occupy that IN
Ierior mind OF hers. But why dld
she shut herself up SO much Why
did she lock the d, o. of the best bed
room. and refuse to let even her
mothcr-in- law to cross the threshold
before She had hidden something
away? What secrets could she have?
All the dainty needlework Was done
under the eye and advice OF tie more
experienced matron. Surely, what
was she about ?
Old Mrs. Alwyn askel herself this
question a thousand times and could
not answer 1t,
That 1t was something she thought
was very important seemed certain
from the flushed and anxious lace
with which the little woman came
from her hidino-place after retire
ment of a few hours. What was it?
Meanwhile. poor Martha toiled
over the secret tatk she had set her
self, and only paused occasionally to
lift her weary hand from her brow
and sigh forth:
oh, dear me What will poor
Chaucer do if | can t manage to get
through with it .
Whether she completed her task OF
not or what it was, need not trouble
us now. The poor young mother
grew suddenly i'll. She had fever
and even wandered in her mind fol
awhile, and when she really began tc
grow well her child was three months
old.
Mrs. Alwyn, coming early one Sab.
bath morning to the room Of hel
lannhtnr.in-law. found CHANGER in