Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1907-12-12

was the governess! Oh, how few Of
his contemporaries had governesses! |!
And now he felt In moments Of
great trouble it is the small thing
which seizes first on the mind. John
Emptage suffered less pain at the mo-
ment for the loss Of bis income than
for the loss of his gentility. "Our
governess! My children's governess!"
Now he would be able to say these
words no longer.
Business" he began, with a groan,
"has been terribly bad. 1t is bad with
everybody, but in our trade it seems
to have gone altogether"
"Well. my dear, you have said that
so often"
"At last the partners have reduced
the establishment. ReducPd-reduced
the establishment Maria"
John" shrieked his wife, "you
haven't lost your berth?"
They've sent away half the clerks
three are gone; and they've cut down
the salaries of those who stay on.
I'm cut down. Maria-children-your
father has been cut down"
"Oh. John! How much? Fifty
pounds?'
"The chief partner sent for me- He
spoke very kind. He said it was very
hard on an old servant, but what was
he to do? He said that all his personal
expenses had been cut down to the low
est, and the establishment in the city
kept up in hopes of better times. but
the trade seemed gone away for good
and what was he to do? And then he
said that he was very sorry indeed,
very sorry for me he was, but he could
no longer go on paying salaries on the
same scale, and he was obliged to offer
me reduction of"-.John doubled up
and groaned as one who has an inter-
nal pain-"of half my screw-take it or
leave it-take it or leave it. That's
all, Maria
ooh, John! Only half-that is what
we married on, sixteen years ago. 1t
was plenty then. But now" she
looked around her Six children! And
the eldest only fifteen. She Groaned
aloud.
Three hundred pounds a year does
not seem to some people great in
come; but many families have to make
three hundred pounds suffice for all
their wants and all their luXures:
think of the clergy, half-pay officers
and widows. In careful hands no
where are the hands moro careful
than those of the London clerks wife
three hundred pounds will go very
long way, particularly when You get
such governeSS as katherine-a
chance which falls to few. But divide
the three hundred by two-Mrs.
Emptage rapidly made that division
and gaZed before her in constcrnatiOn
some clerks have to do with a hundred
and fifty, even clerks with families OF
six. But none knew better than this
cousin of a thousand clerks what the
income meant
"Oh. children" she cried, what
shall we do? The things that We must
give up! How in the world shall
keep YOU rcspcctablcT
Then she looked Gultly at Kath.
arinc.
you will not be able to keep mo any
longer" said Katharine. "Oh. | am
SO sorry for you, am indeed"
"Katharinc, my dear, have one more
meal with us, if it is only cup of tea.
Children. Katharine will come and see
us somctimcs-won't you, my dear"
When Katharine cam" away ut nine.
she met Dittmcr Book smoking Ham,
burg cigar under thr lamppost.
"Thcy know all now he said. IL
was afraid to komm. / am sorry for
them. Yet they have still one hundred
and fifty pounds. In Hamburg that is
a good pay for a clerk. One hundred
and fifty pounds Three thousand
marks. Count it i'll marks. so it is
twenty times as great--ten marks n
day? They have been too rich. the
English. Put they will he rich no
longer. The English clerks are sent
away. The German clerk remains.
have but forty pounds Il year. Eight
hundred marks. Yes. the German re-
mains and the Englshman is sent
away. 1t is the new conquest OF Eng
land. The German remains"
II fear they will have to deny them
selves in many things" said Katha-
rinP
They will cat enough but they will
no longer BE rich. They will no longer
have such Fraulein to teach the chill
drpn."
NO. | must find another place"
1T is sometimes hard to fnd-I fear
the other place"
"I shall find it somehow. Oh, have
no fear
Fraulein"-Dittmcr turned pale,
smitten with sudden terror-''you leave
this good family; you so away. Him
mel! Where can | so to meet you
now"
Katharine hcsitatcd.
"Do you still wish to meet mo, Dit
mer:' she asked. without the least
cOquetry.
Zach! You ask if wish-what other
pleasure have l than TO meet you,
Frauleln? There is no one else in the
world who listens when I speak"
"If it is only to tell me what is in
your mind l will try to arrange for
seeing you sometimes. But"
"Fraulein, it is sweet to open my soul
to you because you understand and
are kind. You do not laugh. ia! 1t
fills my heart with joy to be with you
and to see your facc-so wunder-
schoin-"
"Dittmer, you must not"
"You ask If still wish to meet you.
Achi nd, oil tha foy at my work T