'd been; and then he broke down and cried
real tears, which Pearl said was "good actin'." The third scene was
where Tom came home drunk. It was somewhat marred by Mary, who was
playing the part of the broken-hearted bride, and was supposed to
burst into tears when she saw the condition of her husband, and say:

"So the arrow has sped and my bird of hope
Comes down with a broken wing."

Now Mary had her own ideas of how intemperate husbands should be
dealt with, and she had provided herself with a small, flat stick as
she sat waiting in what was supposed to be joyful anticipation for
her liege lord's homecoming. When she discovered his condition she
cut out the speech about the "bird of hope," and used the stick with
so much vigour that it seemed he was in more danger than the bird of
hope of having a broken wing. Billy, the bridegroom, was naturally
indignant, but his father was disposed to approve of Mary's methods.
"Faix, I'm thinkin'," he said, "there'd be less of it if they got
that every time they cum home that way."

Scene IV was the young son (Patsey) fleeing from the hands of
justice. Pearlie hid him behind the flour-barrel until the two
sleuths of the law, Danny and Tommy, passed by, and then he was
supposed to do his great disappearing act through the cellar window.

Scene V was the most important of all. It was the poorhouse, and
required a good deal of stage-setting. All evidences of wealth had to
be carefully eradicated. The cloth was taken from the table, and the
one mat lifted off the floor. Newspapers were pinned over the
windows, and the calendars were turned with their faces to the wall.
The lamp with the cracked chimney was lighted instead of the "good
lamp," and then Pearlie, with her mother's old black shawl around her
shoulders, ceased to be Pearlie Watson and became poorhouse Nan,
widowed, deserted, old as the world itself, with heartbreak and
tears.

John Watson sat and listened to her with a growing wonder in his
heart, but as the story went on even he forgot that it was Pearl, and
shed many unashamed tears over the sorrows of poorhouse Nan.

Camilla came in one night and heard Pearl recite it all through.

The morning of the contest an emergency meeting of the W. C. T. U.
was hurriedly called at the home of Mrs. Francis. What was to be
done? Maudie Ducker and Mildred Bates had the measles, and could not
recite, which left only four reciters. They could do with five, but
they could