Nevada County picayune., 1891-09-03
self!'' thought Aunt Jo.

l
 shaded by umbrageous naples, a ''west end" where people who had their fortunes lived comfortably in roomy old houses, surrounded by velvet lawns and tcrraced gardens, and an "east end" where people fought desperately, and not always successfully, to keep body and soul together on the merest pittancc.
 And a little way out of the village the almshouse, built and endowed by a certain smuggling sea captain, whose conscience had pricked him during his latter days, raised it's grey stone gables to the sky, and made a picturesque background to the land- scape.
 Dr. Mary Clairimont made somc- thing of a sensation at Aldenbury. Up to this time all the resident NJ. D's. had been stuffy old gentlemen with wigs, or pert young ones with eyeglasses.
 A beautiful young lady who wrote prescriptions and compounded pills and potions, was a novelty in the town, and by no means disagrcea- ble one. People rather liked the idea, once they had convinced them selves that the lady doctor under stood herself and her patients.
 And the poor old people at the almshouse grew to love Dr. Mary, and listen with eager ears for the sound of her carriage wheels over the blue gravel drive which led up to the portico.
 It was brilliant December day when the young physician stood in the neat-carpctcd reception-room, drawing on her fur gloves previous to entering her neat phaeton once again, while she reiterated to the whitc-capped maiden some direc- tions concerning old Aunt Mudgett rheumatism, when the matron hur- red in.
 "Oh, l beg your pardon, Dr. Clar- imont," said she, but clean for got the new old woman
 The new old woman, repeated Dr. Mary with smile.
 That is, exclaimed Mrs. Cum ningham, "she only came last night "a quiet old soul, half blind, and quite bad with the asthma. Perhaps you'd better just see her before you go. She brought card of adms- sion from Dr. Merton, the New York clergyman, who is one of our direc- tors, you know. And she seems a decent body enough. :"
 So Dr. Mary went cheerfully into lhc little brick-pave1 room, with its white pAllct-bcd, cushioned rocking chair, and neatly draped easement, where sat a poor little shrivcllcd-up woman, wrapped in faded shawl.
 She looked timidly up, as pr, Mary came in, from under the bor- ders of her cap.
 "I'm a poor lady, miss, said she, and I'm sensible I'm making a deal of trouble in the world But the Lord don't always take us, miss, when we'd like to go"
 This is the doctor," said Mrs. Cunningham.
 The little woman would have risen up to make feeble courtesy, but Dr. Mary motioncd her to keep her seat,
 What is your name :" said she, pleasantly.
 Louise Marlow, miss.
 "Marlowy That is an unusual name, isn't itE" said Mary Clari- mont, coloring in spite of herself.
 "We're English, miss" said the old woman, struggling bravcly with the asthma. I've a son, miss, in the law business, as any mother might be proud of. r"
 "A son." echoed Mrs. Cunning ham, "and you in the almshouse?"
 Not that it's his fault, ma am, ;" the old creature made haste to eX- plain. My son is to be married to a fine, proud young lady, as is fit for any prince ill all the land, and, of course he can [ be expected to bur den himself with a helpless old wo- man like me. He says Pm to write and let him know how l get along, and if Pm sick or anything he'll try to see me. sewcd carpets until the asthma got hold of me, and supported myself comfortably, But, of course, couldn't lay up anything fnr n rninA naN-Mhn nnnllI An1