Litchfield enquirer., 1849-05-17
No l. WHOLE No. 1907.
How to have Coed NeigAbOra.

$50 you have bought the pleasant ia. nj
where Mr.. Dalton used to live ~ said
Mrs, Emery to Mrs. Austin. "It is a
pretty place, but, after all, I shall not en-
Wy you-for tAere will be the Watsnns
under your elbow, and worse tieighbors
you never found. Walton, you know,
spends all he can get for liquor; and his
wife is little better than himself (; indeed,
some say if she was the woman she should
be, her husband would be better man.
And their children-the pests Of the
neighborhood, brought up to idleness and
mischief-they bid fair to perpetuate their
parents character.
"Poor children said Mrs. A., mourn
full "" what better can we expect of
them, than that they perpetuate their pa
rents characters, except there be redeem
ing influences cast around them? Their
! poor mother has much to harden her
heart. She was an orphan, cast out on
the world in infancy. Her heart never
unfolded the buds of affection beneath the
genial SMILES of parental love Every
thing in her that was good, was checked
by the evil influences which surrounded
her. How can we expect one to be good
and kind, who never knew what kindness
was herself? We do not know, Mrs.
Emery, what we should be, if our fate
had been like hers
"True-true. replied Mrs. E. t'bus
it does seem as if she might know enough
to let her neighbors' property alone but,
you know, they say she will steal"
"She does not know that she should
not steal. But you aud I ought to thank
Heaven that, strong as we think oar prin-
ciples to be, they have not been tried by
temptations such as hers. We do not
know what it is to be hungry and cold.
and see our little ones shivering around
us. crying for bread, while our neighbors
have enough, and to spare"
every well, :" said Mrs. Emery, rather
indignantly; "we shall see how you like
to have your clothes line and your fruit
trees robbed every now-and- then"
"That will be very unpleasant, if it oc+
ours" was the quiet reply; "but 1 be.
lieve society is guilty of great deal Of
the mischief it suffers from such persons.
They are educated in poverty and vice;
no smiles Of love fall on their cherries
childhood no kind voice warns them of
the evils which surround their path no
kind hand is extended to raise them up
when falling; but they are often repelled
with aversion and contempt by those who
profess to be Christians and philanthrc.
pists."
You have singular notions, Mrs. Aus.
tin," rejoined Ter friend. Z" For myself.
confess, I cannot help feeling an aver.
sion to such people, and wish them as far
off as possible
eve never had bad neighbors,'' said
Mrs. Austin, thoughtfully " if this FAM
lily cannot be improved, it may be very
unpleasant living by them"
A few days after the above converse.
ton, MIR. and Mrs. Austin took possess
sion ct their new home. They were hum
BILE. .unpretending people, but they were
Christians, and they had learned to be.
lieve 1t their duty to initiate the example
Of their Master. They were not among
those whose sympathies were inactive.
when excited by miseries which pass be.
fore their eyes.
They had entered upon sphere which
was to give trial to their patience, and
an opportunity for the exercise of their
Christian benevolence. As soon as thev
were settled, Mrs. Austin called upon
the Watsons. 1t was not without feel
ing of loathing that she entered that ru-
nous howell; but she was resolved to get
acquainted with them, and, if possible, to
do them good. The children-poor lit
tie, dirty, half-naked things-ran away
to hide, when she entered and Mrs. Wat
son, with a look of surprise, arose and
offered her broken chair.
We hav.Sjust come into the place.
said she; land as am anxious to be-
come acquainted with my lieighbors, I
have taken the liberty to cali"
II am much obliged" said Mrs. Wat
son. people seldom take so much no.
tice of us. ..... ......
Mrs. Austin inquil ed kindly respecting
her health, and found that the poor WOO
man was far from being well. The hill
dren began to creep around. She dis.
played a handful Of apples which she
took from her pocket, and they soon
gathered around her. She gave each an
apple, and patted their curly heads,
with kind and gentle words. The little
creatures looked wildly at her, as If un-
able 10 comprehend the cause Of such nm
wonted kindness. ~.
When the kind lady arose to depart.
she asked Mrs. Watson to let Mary
child Of seven years-accompany her
home, that she might send her some med
icines.
The child sprang forward with a cry
of pleasure. and, placing her hand in that
Of Mrs. Austin. looked up afectionateiy
in her face; then starting back, che look
ed at her mother, who. she remembered,
hal not given her consent. Mrs. w.