News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-05-14
MaTy'S Broken TrOth.

When Mary Clarimont's engage
ment was proclaimed to the world
there ensued a general expression of
surprise.
People generally are surprised at
matrimonial engagements. There is
always some. cOgent reason why
things should have been adjusted
otherwise-why John should have
married Joan and Peter should pre-
fer 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 intertered seriously
with the current ofcommon sense and
prudence.
Miss ClarimOnt was only one-and-
twenty, q 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 Clari-
mont had a career" before her.
She had just graduated from Med
field medical university, and taken
out her diploma as an NJ. d.
"And only think of it, said aunt
10, bursting into tears of vexation
and disappointment, THAT she must
needs 90 and ruin all her prospects
by getting engaged to Harry Mar
low down in New York -
at does seem strange, aunt JO-
when | sit down and think of it, y
said DR.. Mary, laughing and blush
ing. six months ago my profess
sion was all the world to me. L
neither wished nor cared for anything
outside its limits. The future was
all mapped out before me without
let or hindrance; and now"
"Humph!" 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 dig
nified, Mary"
Mary's dew-bright eyes sparkled.
"Higher, aunt Jo? F." said She
More dignifed? 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 did
not say the same thingl You've dis
appointed me, Mary Clarimont, and
Pm ashamed of you, and that is the
long and short Of it,"
"Dear aunt Jo," said she, 81 shall
not let my sword and shield rust, be-
lieve me. Harry has his own talents
to advance him in the world, and it
will be at least a year before we shall
be ready to marry. In the meantime
| shall accept the post of visiting
physician to the Aldenbury aims
house and practice my profession in
Aldenbury just the same as if there
were no engagement"
81 wish to goodness there wasn't, "
said aunt 10. Il tell you what,
Mary, l don't fancy that smiling,
smooth-tongued young man of yours
and | never shall.
Still DR.. Mary Clarimont kept her
temper.
Il am sorry, aunt Jo," she said,
pleasantly" but l hope that you
will eventually change your mind"
81 used to keep thread-and-nee-
die store when l was a young wO-
man, remarked aunt 10, dryly, "and
| always could tell the ring of coun-
terfeit half-dollar when a customer
laid it on the counter. | could then,
and | can now-and | tell you what,
Mary, there's base metal about
Harry NARROW"
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 10 is wrong" persisted the
pretty young M, D., to herself.
MARY is making a fool Ofherself?
thought aunt 10.
Aldenbury was pretty manufac
turing village, with main street
shaded by outrageous naples, &
"west end' where people who haC
made their fortunes lived comfort
ably inroomy old houses, surround
ed by velvet lawns and terraced gar
dens, and an least end where peO
pie fought desperately and not al
ways successfully to keep body anC
soul together on the merest pittance
And little way out of the villag
the almshouse, built and endowed b,
a certain smuggling sea captain
whose conscience had pricked hin
during his latter days, raised thei
gray stone gables to the sky, AM
made picturesque background t'
the landscape.
DR.. Mary Clarimont made some
thing of a sensation at Aldenbury
Up to this time all the resident N
DIS had been stuffy old gentleme
with wigs, or pert young ones wit
eyeglasses.
A beautiful young lady who wrot
prescriptions and compounded pill