The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1891-05-27
MARY CLARIM0NT, M. D.


When Mary Clarimont's engagement
was proclaimed to the world there en-
sued a general expression of surprise.
People are generally surprised at mat
rimonial engagements. There is always
some cogent reason why things should
have been adjusted otherwise-why John
should have married Joan, and Peter
should prefer Betsey. Nobody was ever
yet married to suit everybody.
But in Mary Clarimont's case it did
really seem as if the course of true love
had interfered seriously with the current
of common sense and prudence.
Miss Clarimont was only ne-and-
twenty, a tall, imperial beauty, with dewy
black eyes, skin as fresh as damask
roses. and dark brown hair, coiled in
shining bands at the back of her head.
Moreover, Miss Clarimont had career
before her. She had just graduated from
Medfield Medical University, and taken
out her diploma as an NJ. ID.
"And only to think of it," said Aunt
Jo, bursting into tears of vexation and
disappointment, "that she must needs
go and ruin all her prospects by get
ting engaged to Harry NARROW, down in
aNcy York !"
1T does seem strange, Aunt 10, when
i sit down and think of it, said Doctor
Mary, laughing and blushing. "Six
months ago my profession was all the
world to me. neither wished nor cared
for anything outside its limits. The
future was all mapped out before me
without let or hindrance; and now"
"Humphl" !" growled Aunt 10. "Any
brainless idiot can get married and keep
mans house and mend his shirts for
him, but you were made for something
higher and more dignifed, Mary"
Mary's dew bright eyes sparkled.
"Higher, Aunt Jo2" said she. ''AIore
dignified9 There you are mistaken.
There is no higher or more dignified lot
in life than that of the true wife of a
noble husband"
"Fiddlesticks" said Aunt 10. Gas
if every poor fool who was dazzled by
the glitter of a wedding ring didn't say
the same thing You've disappointed
me, Mary Clarimont, and I'm ashamed
of you, and that is the long and the
short of it"
"Dear Aunt Jo," said she, 81 shall
not let my sword and shield rust, believe
me. Harry has only his own talents to
advance him in the world, and it will be
at least year before we shall be ready
to marry. In the meantime | shall ac-
cept the post of visiting physician to the
Aldenbury Almshouse and practise my
profession, just the same as if there were
no engagement.
81 wish to goodness there wasn't"
said Aunt 10. "I tell you what, Mary,
l don't fancy that smiling, smooth
tongued young man of yours, and l never
SHALL"
Still DR.. Mary Clarimont kept her tenn
per.
81 am sorry, Aunt Jo," she said,
pleasantly. "But l hope that you will
eventually change your MUD"
al used to keep a thread and needle
store when | was a young woman, re-
marked Aunt 10, dryly, sand 1 always
could tell the ring of counterfeit half
dollar when customer laid it on the
counter, l could then, and / can now
and tell you what, Mary, there's base
metal about Harry Marrow"
DR.. Mary bit her lip.
''Perhaps. We will not discuss the
subject further, Aunt Jo, she said, with
quiet dignity, and the old lady said no
more.
"Aunt Jo is wrong" persisted the
pretty young NJ. d. to herself
''Alary is making a fool of herself!n
thought Aunt Jo.
Aldenbury was a pretty manufacturing
village, with a main street shaded by
outrageous naples, .'west end, "where
people who had made their fortunes
lived comfortably in roomy old houses,
surrounded by velvet laws and terraced
gardens, and an "east end, " where peo-
pie fought desperately and not always
successfully to keep body and soul to-
gether on the meTest pittance.
And little way out of the village the
almshouses, built and endowed by a GER
tain smuggling sea captain, whose con
science had pricked him during his latter
days, raised their gray stone gables TO
the sky, and made picturesque back
ground to the landscape
DIR. Mary Clarimont made something
of a sensation at Aldenbury Up to this
time all the resident NJ. d. s had been
stutfy old gentlemen with wigs, or pert
young ones with eyeglasses.
A beautiful young lady who wrote pre-
scriphons and compounded pills and po-