The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1862-04-18
How to Have Good Neighbors.

How to Have Good Neighbors.
80 you have bought the pleasant farm
where Dalton used to live ?" said Mrs.
Emery, to her neighbor, Mrs. Austin
at is pretty place, but, after all, shall
not envy you-for there will be the Wat
sons under your elbow, and worse neigh
bors you never found. Watson, you
know, spends all he can get for liquor,
and his wife is little better than himself :;
indeed, some say il she was the woman
she should be, ,her husband would be bet.
ter man. And their children-the pests
Of the neighborhood, brought up TO idle.
ness and miscbief-they bid fair TO per-
petuate their parents character"
"Poor children p said Mrs. A., mourn.
fully-"what better can we expect of
them, than that they perpeluate 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 IFS affection beneath
the genial smiles OF parental love. Ev-
erything 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 zoe should be, il our fate had
been like hers"
"True-true," replied Mrs. E "but
il does seem as II she might know enough
to let her neighbors' property alone but,
you know. they say size will steal"
"She does not know that she should
not steal But you and ought 10 thank
Heaven that, strong as we think our prin-
ciples to be. they have not been tried by
temptations such as hers. We do not
know what il 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"
"Very WE'LL" said Mrs. Emery, rather
indignantly we shall see how you like
10 have your clothes. line and your fruit
trees robbed every now. then"
"That will lie very unpleasant, il it oc.
curs," was the quiet reply; "but believe
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 iall on their cherries
childhood; no kind voice warns them oi
the evils which surround their path no
kind hand is extended to raise them up
when falling; bu; they are often repelled
with aversion and contempt by those
who profess 20 be Christians and philan.
thropistso"
"You have singular notions, Mrs.
Austin" rejoined her friend. "For my
self. cannot help feeling an aversion 10
such people, and wisHshem as far of as
possible"
"We never had bad neighbors," said
Mrs Austin, lhoughtfully iii this family
cannot be improved. il may be very un-
pleasant living by them"
= A few days after the above conversa-
zion, Mr.. and Mrs. Austin took possession
Of their new home. They were humble.
|. unpretendiug people. but they were
Christians, and they had learned to be-
lieve it 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 q sphere which
was to give trial to their patience, and an
opportunity for the exercise OF their Chris
!, tisn benevolence. As soon as they were
}, settled, Mrs. Austin called upon the Wat
sons. II was not without feeling o.
loalhing that she entered that ruinou'
bovel but she was resolved to get &C
quainted with them, and, If possible, dc
y them good. The cbildren-poor, little
:, dirty, half-nakec things-ran away tc
hide, when she entered and Watson
with look Of surprise, arose and Offered
her broken chair.
"We have just come into the place.
sai6 she "and, as ] am anxious TO be
!, come acquainted with my neighbors,
;. have taken the liberty to CALI"
d 81 am much obliged" said Mrs. Wat
I, = son. People seldom take so much no
d tice of u.s."
). Mrs. Austin inquired kindly respecting
!, = her health, and found that the poo
woman was far from being WE'LL
The children began to creep around
She displayed handful OF apples wbicl
she took from her pocket, and they sool
gathered around her, She gave each al
apple, and patted their curly heads will
b kind and gentle words. The liale crea
lures looked wild at her, as il unable +
comprehend the cause of such unwonte,
= kindness.
When the kind lady arose to depart