Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1885-04-16
Love and House Cleaning.
BY AMY RANDOLPH.

beu; ureSSllS-SO"n NODOuJ KNOWS
where chairs all tied up in hollands
wrapplngS, and nothing to sit on but the
top of hat-box! And, worse than all,
rpets ruthlessly wrcnched up, and
floor all deluged with damp soapsuds,
enough 10 give man rheumatism and
neuralgia for the whole remaining term
Of his natural life! Job might have had
a great many trials to test his patience
haven't doubt Of that--but there
WAS one trial lc didn't have. l never
read in Scripture that Jobs wife clean
ed house. That's modern aggravation.
mean to marry nice girl and make
it s,ipulat on beforehand that won t
turn our house upside down, on princi,
pie, twice year.
Mr.. Merrion soliloquized this, as he
stood before the mirror smoothing his
brown curly locks with his fingers, IN
lieu of the hair-brush, which no
amount of search had proved available
in finding
Not so bad looking, after all in spite
of his seven and thirty years, he could
not but tell himself as he stood the re-
Dark brown hair, waved at the end;
bright hazel eyes; Il clear complexion,
albeit somewhat touched with brown;
ard square chin, cleft with deep
dimpe in the center. An old bache-
lor, but us yet not inmedlatel y SO.
While there is life there is hope, and
the aggravated tormens Of life in a
boarding house were slowly but surely
driving nin toward his DIES my.
Old Mrs. Grmshaw the !andlady, WAS
at the head Of the ves!er banquetlng
table, pouring a detection of weak tea
into an array OF chipped stone-chlna
cups, as Mr.. Merton entered. She
greeted him with happy snilt.
'O, course, Mr. Merrlon,' she sail
you're quite delighted to see how fine
Iy we have got along eAnlng your
room.
No, ma an, I'm no?' our hero '1IaAe
answer grutiiy. i regard hous" clean
ny aS an inven.ion of the Evil One,
and don care who knows it,
The assembled gentleman OF the e!-
tabIi -hmcnt murmnrrd unanimous con.
sent; the assembled ladies rolled ny
their ewes and wagged their teaspoons
in riuus horror.
Dear NE. sighed the landlady, how
peculiar men arc My dear dtptrted
GrimShaw never breathed a word OF
objection to spring cleaning; in fact he
used to help NE whtewash and paper
The walls with his own hands.
And he died, didn't h, ma am: in
terrcgatcd Merrion.
Yes, he died, SAID Mrs, Grimshaw
hut it Was of gont in the stomach, AT
tie age Of fifty two
All said Mr. Merrion sepnlchralIy
'and there no saying how much Longer
he might have lived. if it hadn't been
for spring cleaning
Nothing Of the kind" cried Mis-
Grimshaw indi gnantly, and she began
a detailed acCount Of the symptoms anc
signs which had accompanied the last
end Of the deceased Griushaw to the
ladies immediately around her, under
cover Of which MIR Merrion swallowed
his tea and effected an escape.
"A man must be made Of cast iron tc
en- lure this sort of thing much longer,
said he to himself, strolling out int
the fresh May air i won't continue a
solitary. alone in the world great pro
cession, any longer. I'll become i
married man.
-Four blocks off. in a cozv little old
fashioned house, whose original self Of
red brick was near y concealed by
wings additions and bay windows, all
covered with tru npot-cr'eper, wlsterIa
and brown Stemmed honeysucklr ,d"el'
pretty young widow. sweet voiced
rosy and passing fair to look upon
I'll propose to Mrs Tyson, said our
hero. And III do it at once.
Mrs. Tyson was not at home, but the
servant mlil who opened the door was
quite certain that, if Mr. Merrloa would
only walk in and wait few minu es
her mistress would return.
81 Mr.. Mrrrion walked into the sun.
ny room where the pussy cat lay pur
ring on the rug before the fire, and !;
window stand full of da;To,lils and
primroses maic the dir sweet, and the
widows open por- folio, with sheets OF
lavender paper strawn about and tiny
gold pen resting on the rack of the
hrrnze standis,, OetoAencu her most re-
cent occupation.
'An idea. SAID MIR Merrion' I ev-
er was quick at turninga sent"l re.ahd
aud it is decidedly awkward to go down
upon one knees. I'll write the event.
full question
And this is what Mr. Merrion wrote:
My DEAR Mrs TYSON will you
marry me? And will you accept NV as
suranre ct sincere devotion, now and for
alt: | am not IN eloquent man but
behave | could mike airy woman hap
py who loved me and whom loved.
Of the latter fact | am quite certain,
in regard to you Of the former, ro
mains Tor you to assure me.
81 shall meet you at Mrs Grimshaw S
tomorrow evening She has told ne
that you are coming to tea. If YOU an
swer the first question ask YOU with
Yes | shall know that you love me; if
otherwise, shall not press my suit
Yours truly, JOHN MERR1oA