Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1905-02-16

prcmoted the wickedness which
perpetIa'ed towards my wise an
cient relation.
MY DEAR" said / 10 l.y wife or
the day before my aunt's arrival
you know my aunt Mary is co,sina
tomorrow; well, / forgot 70 mentor
rather annoying circumstance with
regard to her. She is very deaf; al
though she can hear my voice, ts
which she il accustomed in its or.
dinary tones. yet you win be Obliged
TO speak extremely loud In order t<
be heard. It will be rather incon.
convenient. but know you will dc
anything in your power to make her
stay agreeable.
Mrs. - announced her determi.
nation to make herself heard If in
her power. then went to John
IN who loves a joke about as well
as any person l know of, and told
him to be at the house at 6 p. NJ. the
following evening. and felt compar-
atively happy.
l went to the railroad depot with
a carriage the next night, and when
was on my way home with my aunt.
[ said:
My dear aunt, there is one rath-
er annoying infirmity that Annie.
(my wife) has. which Iforgot to men,
tion before. She is very deaf, and
although she can hear my voice, to
which she is accustomed, in its or
dinary tones, yet you will be Obliged
to speak yery loud in order to be
heard. l am very sorry fo- it,"
Aunt Mary in the goodness of her
bert protested that she rather liked
speaking loud. and to do so would
afford her great pleasure.
The carriage drove upon the
steps was my wife-in the window
was John N -, with a face as ut.
terly solemn as if he mad buried his
relative that afternoon.
lamdelighted to see you, "shriek-
ed my wife-aDd the policeman On
the opposite sideM.l!- started, and
my aunt nearly fell down the stems.
kiss me, my dsar," bawled nv
~unt, and the windows shook as wi. 1
the fever and ague. / looked at the
window-John had disappeared.
Human nature could endure il no
longer. l poked my head il 20 the
carriage and went into strong con-
vulsions.
Wien | entered tie parlor, NV
wlle was hoping aurt Mary to take
of her hat and ara; and ':.e.e sat
John with his face buried in ;.is hand
kcrchief
Suddenly-"Did you have a leas.
ant journey ?" went off my wife liz /.
pistol. ard John nearly jumped to
his feet.
Rather dusty" was the respons.
In a war-whoop, and con se-sation
continued.
The neighnors for blocks around
must have heard it. When | was in
the third story nt the building
heard every rord.
In the course of the evening NV
aunt took occasion to say to me.
How loud your wife talks ?'
| told her deaf persons talked loud.
ly and that my wife being used to II,
was not affected by the exertion, and
that she was getting on very nicely
with her.
Presently my wife said softly:
All, bow very loud your aunt
talks"
Yes" said l, "all deaf persons
do. You are getting along finely;
she hears every word you say"
And / rather think she did.
Elated at their success at being
understood, they went hammer and
tongs, till everything upon the man-
tlepiece clattered again and was
afraid OF q crowd collect
ing in front Of the house.
But the end was near. MY aunt
being Of an investigating turn OF
mind, was desirous of finding out
whether the exertion of talking was
injurious to my wife. So
Doesn't talking 20 loud strain
your lungs 2" said she in an unearth-
ly whoop, for Ter voice was not SO
as it was when she was
young.
1T is an exertion, shrieked my
wife.
Then why dc you do it ?" wss
the answering scream.
"Because-because-you can't
hear if / don't" squealed my wife.
What" said my aunt, fairly ri.
valing railroad whistle It the time.
I began to think it time to evacu-
ate the premises; and looking around
and seeing John gone, I stepped
into the back parlor, and there he
lay fat Of his back. with his feet at
right angles with body rolling from
side 20 side. yith his f.: noked into