Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-08-25
THE FAILURE OF
MARTHA MORRIS.
BY John Foster Frazer.

"oiu ioi Tue men OF trent
borough. Rarely, indeed, have the men
OF marlborough ever been heard TO say
a good word for each other.
Everyone knows everyone else in the
old town. When Bob Wright. the gro
Ger. bought some of the new houses
down the Ropery the merits of his pur-
chase were discussed in the bar parlor
OF the White Deer. When young Wig
gins met Betsy Haverhill one Sunday
night as she came out from the Wes-
leyan chapel, and walked with her
homewards, all marlborough smiled,
and said 1t was just what had been ex-
pected.
When one of the little tradesmen
iAiled they could tell you in the White
Deer what was the cause of his failure,
who had been giving long credit. and
who "ud cum a cropper."
And when old Martha Morris, who
kept little shop at the corner Of the
lane that turns down by the side of the
church, put up the green shutters. and a
meeting of creditors was called, there
would have been the usual talk had not
something strange occurred.
Martha Morris had always been un-
fortunate. Her man died, and left her
nothing. So she sold some of her fur
niture. and some friends lent her
money, and she opened the shop, with
the bull-eye chunks of glass as win
dows. She sold states and slate PEN
ellis to the children who went to the
church school. Sometimes she sold
colored wool to the girls to make mats
on the Friday afternoon. A few of the
local journals were always on her coun-
ter. and some notepaper in penny pack
cts, and cotton and worsted. Birthday
cards she kept in a drawer with pen
holders, cheap combs, and many little
oddments such as the people of Trent
borough might require.
When a big shop near the Market
place commenced to sell the same ar
ticles as she did, her trade disappeared.
Besides, her shop was shabby. and her
things were old and faded, and some
times dusty. The other shop had two
big windows, and the things looked
newer and brighter than hers. and often
they were cheaper.
And thus il was that Martha Morris
put up her shutters one forenoon. just
before the children came tumbling and
screaming and laughing out of the
schoolhouse. A young man from the
lawyers Office had been writing out
list of all she had; furniture, the two
chairs that belonged to her grand
mother, the kitchen table. vase with
some worked wooden lilies under glass
case, the dull-ticking, brass-faced old
clock, even a cracked china cup and
saucer that were given her by her
mother on her wedding day. The value
of the lot was computed by the young
man to be G Is Ids. 3D., and her liabili-
ties were f27 As. or thereabouts. For
she could not remember If she had paid
for the Goals that stood in shed at the
back of the decrepit shop.
1t was warm. heavy-atmosphered
afternoon, with humid air from the
marshs across the river hanging over
the town. when the few creditors TO
whom Martha Morris was indebted met
to decide upon selling her up. or wind
ing up tile estate" as Lawyer Spencer
termed it.
The meeting had been called for four
o'clock. At three o'clock Martha was
ready. although the walk from her shop
to the Office of the lawyer was little
more than five minutes. But after she
had washed the plate and wiped the
knife and fork after her dinner she put
on the old black bonnet and the old
black cloak, worn time out of mind in
summer ano In winter.
She went out into the hot street. No
body was about. But the rumble of
cart over the rough cobblestones could
be heard some distance away. She
turned and crossed the market place
that was bathed in sunshine and had AZ
old cannon, the prize of one of the wars.
standing in the center.
When Martha Morris tapped at the
door and went into the little office with
n green Undiscovered table at one side.
where sat the lawyer with bundle OF
official documents before him. her
heart beat quickly, for she felt slight
tremor.
"Sit down. please" said the LAWYER.
Martha looked round and could not
make up her mind which of the three
empty chairs she should take.
Maybe yen just sit down, Mrs. Nor
ris.. said Amos Atkin; Its warm walk
in ter-day."
..Yes, sir, it is" said Martha, taking
the chair nearest the door,
She felt slightly overawed.
Lawyer Spencer looked up from his
papers with slight frown. He was
bald man. with hurried
manner. I'VE had better not commence
in an informal way" he said. This Is
the case of Martha Morris, of Church |
lane, in the parish OF All saints,
Trentborough. widow. The debtor filed
his own petition. The liabilities are |
ouf down at 81 odd. though ] believe
,h.v will rank more. and the assets