Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1895-05-17
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE OLD CLOCK.

first, but when chinks come in the cot
tage wall and the winter wind rises
and blows through then there must be
bought plaster to fill in the chinks, for
love, like many other sweets, when ex-
posed too much to the air, sours.
When Mamie Kent was pretty,
single girl, people shook their heads and
warned her against listening to the suit
of Harry Dean. He was only poor
teamster and had nothing but weekly
wages She lived at home with her
mother, helping her to do the plain
sewing which the neighborhood required
and occasionally hiring out to help the
farmers wives at harvest time.
So the two young folks were equally
poor, equally without expectations, but
when did love ever hesitate at ciroum-
stances like these All his old, subtle
arguments are known They were used
in this case.
THE cottage that is large enough for
two is large enough for three The
added advantage of the mans wages
will more than offset the additional ex-
pense of his keep. The responsibility
Of wife and home will make man
frugal and thrifty"
All these arguments were used to
justify and further the suit Of Harry
Dean. 1t is so easy for love to con-
vince love that love should be INDUCED
So the old arguments we're successful
as usual, and the young people we're
married.
Who can tell of the bliss of those first
few months, while love grew and ripen-
ed between the two hearts when even
the stinting and saving were pleasure,
and sacrifice, was pleasant because die
tated by lover Harry worked hard be-
cause now he had such real purpose
in working. BY dint of doing overtime
he made some extra money, which all
went to swell the little hoard which they
we're laying by for rainy day, and they
we're happy hours which the old kitchen
clock licked away as i stood on the
white floor and beame1 over the house
hold.
Mamie communed much with the old
timepiece about noon and supper time
She would look at its smiling face aud
then listen till she heard step on the
walk and the cherry voice of Harry at
the door
Even the first grief that fell on the
household was made sweet to Mamie by
the consciousness that there was loved
one sharing it with her.
It was just six weeks before her little
one was born that Nannie's mother died
and left Z void in the home that tho ad-
vent Of the little stranger only partly
filed
The baby was a boy, and they named
it Harry for its proud father. There
we're some things the little one didn't
have which it might have had had not
80 much of the parents saving gone to
pay the grandmothers Doctors bills aud
funeral expenses Tut he thrived and
grew vigorous and hardy He was past
a year old and had begun to toddle
about when the darkest days they had
ever known came 10 the Dean house
hold
Love 10 its arguments bad proved an
ardent fallacist He emitted 80 many
contingencies which might arise when
the object he urged was eliminated.
He had failed to tell Mamie how Harry
might fall sick and lose work and leave
her with three mouths to feed IL was
at the most Encouraging time, too
near the closing down of winter It
seemed very hard that typhoid should
take Harry just then, just when his
strong arm and the result of his labor
were 80 much needed, when the family
treasury was so greatly depleted, when
the stoves needed coal and the baby
woolens. No wonder that Nannie's heart
grew heavy when she saw the task that
was set for her hands TO do. But she
took up the struggle bravely, as only a
woman can whose great love has made
her heroic. There was the baby 10 tend,
Harry to nurse and the living to make.
Through many days she sat sewing by
her husbands bed, while the baby play
ing on the floor, and at night, when the
little one was asleep, she joined the
double duties Of gaining overtime on her
stitches and watching the invalid's fever
ish slumbers. How and then a neigh
Dor dropped in TO relieve her, but more
often her vigils were kept alone.
The winter was turning into spring
when Harry grew able to get out again.
The long weeks Of work and anxiety
had told upon the strength aud energies
Of Mamie, and her weakness, apparent
in the weary voice and slow step, made
her husband impatient to assume his old
place 10 the household.