Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1867-01-10
THE NEIGHBORs.
A story for Christmas Time.

A story for Christmas Time.
When Christmas comes in the winter
time, as it has come ever since l can re-
member, the earth is very apt to get
Christmas present of a fall of snow; and
if one were an old fence, or house-root,
or patch Of dry, brown grass that had
once been green, one would wish every
Christmas to have the same. present OF
great snow fall that would cover one up,
so that people would say, "Realy, how
charrniDgly that old fence looks or
"How the snow takes off the sharpness OF
that roof" or, if they were trying 10 pc
poetical, "See what-a soft ermine mantle
hangs over the shoulder OF that hill
An yet if the snow lay heavily upon the
house-roof very long, one would think that
there could be little heat for, the jewellers
inside, else it would be melted off.
Everybody, however, does not keep
fire burning all night in the house, and per-
haps that was the reason why two houses
which stood almost touching each other
had heavy capes of snow on, the night be-
fore Christmas. 1t was easily to be seen,
for the moon was shining brightly after
the days snow-storm, and the house-tops
looked wonderfully white and cold. These
two houses, though the snow fell on both
alike, were as different as two men. One,
with its pointed roof was like an old man
with an Old-fashioned hat on. 1t stood III
dignifed sort of way, as if it respected
itself, looking out in every direction with
windows set firmly in their places, or
perched, leaning upon their elbows, on the
roof. Each of the windows had its own
private cap, which it kept on all the while,
Of course, for it's head was out-of-doors in
all kinds of weather; and the front door
had, besides, two pillars on which to lean.
A flight of steps led up to it, so that people
who wished to enter must climb up to 1t,
and ring brass bell-handle, and read
FRoME on great door-plate There was
Il chimney, with row of little chimney
pots on top-a separate little hole for each
fireplace in the house: the range i'll the
kitchen sent up its smoke by sort of pri-
vate back stairs, so as not to interfere with
the smoke from the parlor and the dining
room. And the fence in front of the house
had brass head on each iron spike, and
they stood in a row glaring at one like
squad of policemen, saying, keep your
hands off the house, if theyr not clean!"
1t seems very strange, then, that upon
one side of this house the windows should
all look at the wall of the other house,
which stood separated from it by not more
than ten feet. They did not indeed look
into it, for their blinds were all shut tight,
but it. was for no lack of openness in the
other house This had no blinds at all,
and it had windows directly opposite the
blinds, at which they stared all day long,
like eyes without winkers. The house was
not so high, however, as Mr.. Frome's and
had flat roof over which the upper win
dows of Mr.. Frome's house could see very
well, if there was anything worth looking
at. 1t was a squarish, shOrt-necked house,
sitting on the ground, and one could walk
straight in by door so flat that when it
was shut one could hardly tell it from the
rest of the house-front. Regular rows of
windows occupied the front and side, look
ing as if they had all been sawed out after
the house was made. There was no fence
in front but the fence that separated it
from the neighbor house was right against
this house, or rather the house looked as if
it had been set against the fence, for the
fence was older. There was a name upon
the door, spelled in China letters-GRAsI.
SO Mr.. Crash lived here.
At the time when our story begins there
was no light in Mr.. Fromes house, but in a
window of the second story of Mr.. Grash's
there was twinkling light, and shadows
of persons could be seen moving back and
forth There was a light in the neighbor
ing room also. 1t was nearly midnight /;
the snOW-stOrm which had fallen all day
had given place to bright moonlight, but
clouds had gathered, and there was prom
Use aOf new snow-storm. Nevertheless
two humble neighbers that had come out
to- see each other in the moonlight, re-
manned out-of.doors. They were two cats,
upon the roofs of these two houses. One
was sitting on the sill of a roof-window of
Mr.. Frome's house--that was Mr.. Frome's
Cat; the.other was upon the roof of Mr..
Grash's house-that was Mr. Grash's Cat
They could talk very easily across the mar
row space that separated the two houses
"A still night, neighbor," said Mr..
Frome's Cat
AYE, you may well say that" rejoined
Mr.. Grash's Cat ''This snow does make
wish were white-snow- white, | mean,
for l have some white" and he looked
proudly on his fur "One makes dreadful
shadows on the snow say, do you think
we should make less if we were wholly
white? ," t'ri if1
swell, | am not sure" said the other, re-
fiecting. But it's the moon, you know
that makes us make shadows and this is
what puzzles me. Why does not the moon
make shadow, too? That great round
thing goes across the sky rs fast as rat
sometimes, but we don't see any round
shadow going down the street. I've often
watched for il" and he looked puzzled
They both sat some time in silence, but
neither could answer the question Mr.
Fromes Cat was still thinking about it,
but Mr.. Grash's Cat had other thoughts
He spoke again
al say, does she ever leave the cover
off"
"The covers"
"Yes, the cover; you know, the cook, in
the back yard said Mr.. Grash's Cat,
licking his chops, and looking rather hun
cry.
Il am fed in the house said Frome's
Cat, with dignity.
"As if you did not go out and help your
self" said the other scornfully
II have no need to-" said Mr.. Frome's
Cat, coldly; "and we don't keep it in the
yard"
Don't tell me Precious fine you are
with your wall behind, so high can't