Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1848-03-16


day. "that we shall have to move from here"
''Why 500" asked Mr. Smith in surprise. at
is very comfortable house. ! am certain we
will not get another as desirable at the same
rent"
81 don't know that we will. But
Just as | said this, my cook opened the door
of the room where we were sitting, and said
Mrs. Jordon, maam, wants to borrow half a
pound Of butter. She says they are entirely out,
and their butter man won't come before to-lnor-
row."
Every well, Jane let her have it,"
The cook retired
"Why do you wish to move Mary!" asked my
husband, as Jane closed the door
Cooks visit was quite appropos," | replied
at is on account of the half pound of butter,
cup of sugar and pan of flour nuisance"
81 don't exactly comprehend you, Mary" said
my husband.
ut is to get rid Of borrowing neighbour The
fact is, Mrs. Iordon is almost too much for me.
L like to be accommodating it gives me pleas
ure to oblge my neighbors; | am ready to give
any reasonable obedience to the scripture in unc-
tion-,trOm him that wOuH b0rroW of thee, turn
thou not array; but Mrs Jordan goes beyond all
reason"
"StiII, if she is punctual in returning what she
gets, don't know that you ought to let it annoy
you great deal"
"There lies the gist of the matter, my dear, "
] replied. If there were no 'if' such as you sug-
gest, in the case, would not think great deal
about it. But the fact is, there is no telling the
cups OF sugar, pans Of -four pounds Of butter, and
little matters OF salt, pepper, vinegar, mustard
ginger, Spices eggs, lard meal, and the deal
knows what ALL that go out monthly, but never
come back again. l verify believe we suffer thro
Mrs Jordon's habit of borrowing not less thar
fifty or sixty dollars year Little things like
these count up"
$50 bad as that, is it," said my husband.
"lndeed it is; and when she returns anything
it is almost always of inferior quality, and fire.
quentIy thrown away on that account"
While we were talking, the tea bell rung, anC
we retired to the dining room.
"WhaPs the matter with this teal" asked Mr.
Smith, pushing the cup had handed him aside
after having slipped of its contents. 81 neve
tasted such stuff It's like herb tea"
" 1t must be something in the water" replied
J. The tea is the same that we have been US
ing all along"
poured some into cup and tasted it,
Pah' | said, with disgust, and rang tn
bell. The cook entered in a few moments.
Jane, what's the matter with your teaW
isn't fit to drink, Is it the same we have bee
usIngW
No ma am, replied Jane 1t is some Mr.
Jfrdon sent home. | reminded Nancy, whe
she was here for the butter, that they owed u
some tea, borrowed day before yesterday, an
she came right back with it, saying that Mr.
Gordon was sorry it had slipped her mind
thought would draw it by itself, and not mix
with the tea in our canister"
"You can throw this out and draw fresh te
Jane; we can't drink it," said |, handing he
the teapot.
You see how it works" remarked, as Jan
left the room, and my husband leaned back
his chair to wait for fresh cup of tea con
half Of the time, when any thing is returned
we can't use it. The butter Mrs. Jordon got
little while ago, if returned tomorrow, will NJ
be fit to 60 on our table, We can only use
for cooking"
1t isn't right" sententiously remarked n
husband. "The fact is " he resumed after
slight pause, 4" [ wouldn't lend such a woma
any thing. 1t is downright imposition"
1t is very easy thing to say that, Mr. Smit
But am not prepared to do it, | don't belle,
Mrs. Jordon means to do wrong or is really col
scious that she is trespassing upon US Sou
people don't reflect Otherwise she is pleasa
neghbor, and like her very much 1t is wa
of proper thought, Mr. Smith, and nothing else
If a man kept treading on my equity toe f
want of thought, said my husband, - | shou
certainly tell him of it, whether he got ohendt
or not If his friendship could only be retan'
on these terms, would prefer dispensing wi
the favor"
"The case isn't exactly parallel, Mr.. Smith
was my reply. "The equity toe and crushil
heel are very palpabIe and straightforward m;
tiers, and man would be an egregious blockhe
to be offended when reminded of the pain
was inActng But it would be impossible
make Mrs. Jordon at all conscious of the exte
of her shortcomings, very many of which,
fact, are indirect, so far as she is concerned, a
arise from her general sanction of The borro
ing system. | do not suppose, for a nome
that she knows about every thing that is b.
rowed"
e" If she don't, pray who does 7" inquired
husband.
Her servants / have to be as watcbful
you can imagine, to see that Jane, exCeIlen
girl as she is, doesn't suffer things to get out, a
then, at the last moment when it is too late
send to the store run in to a neighbours to b
row to hide her neglect If gave her a ca
blanche for borrowing, might be as annoying
my npighbors as Mrs. Jordon."
"That's rather serious matter" said my h
band, In fact there is no knowing how mu
people may suffer in their neighbors' good op
ion through the conduct of their servants IN t
very thing"
Truly said. And now let me relate f
about Mrs Jordon that illustrates your remarI
(The fresh tea had come in, and we were goi
on with our evening mea) "A few weeks E
we had some friends here spending the event
When about serving refreshments, discover
that my two dozen tumblers had been reduced
seven or eight. On inquiry, learned that N
Jordon had ten-the rest had been broken
sent to her, with my compliments, and asked
to return them as l had some company,
wished to use them in serving refreshme
Jane was gone some time, and when she return
said that Mrs. Jordon at first denied having
of my tumblers Her cook was called, who
knowledged to five, and, after sundry efforts
the part of Jane to refresh her memory, fin