Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-07-19

I A Watchlui eye on the sceus ana seek
To SOW what Is good, that we may not weep
To receive our own.
NY OPPOSITE NEIGHBOR.
The spring was just coming in,
when the house opposite, which had
I been vacant all the winter, found a
/ tenant. The house was not exactly
opposite, however, for 10 stood in a
side street, and fronted, therefore,
at right angles to my lOdging-house.
/ But the "secOnd-fOor back which
I occupied, overlooked its garden,
and that is the main point in my
/ story. / say garden" adVisedly (;
for, unlike most London houses, the
house opposite had a large piece of
| ground behind IL, part Of which was
I shut of by a trellis-work, aud was
full of fOwer-beds; and my first
knowledge that the house was occu-
/ pied at al was the sight of a y0ung
I lady, very vision OF beauty, who
appeared one morning in charming,
I vet simple costume, rake in hand,
70 attend to these very beds.
/ have always been passionately
fond Of flowers. ! watched her, ac-
cordingly, with deep interest as,
day by day, she directed a neighbor-
| ing Aorist where to set out new
plants. Afterwards, she herself at
tended to the garden, watering the
fiowers night and morning, hoeinQ
the earth when necessary, and care
fully shipping of the dead wood.
| She would have been beautiful in
any dress, but in this beautiful gar
! den-costume she looked divine
Graceful and tall, womanly in all
her movements, / had never seen
her equal. At the end Of q week !
thought OF nothing but my oppo-
site neighbor. At the end Of fort
night / was hopelessly in love.
Sometimes, the notes Of a piano
were heard from within the oppo-
site house; and then q voice rang
out, so elastic, so pathetic, so thor
oughly cultivated, that was raw
ished. Now the songs were gay I;
now they were sad; but always the
voice was superb, the execution
perfect. Several times an elderly
gentleman came out into the garden (;
her father no doubt.
1 had often passed the house, but
no name was on the door; so did
not as vet even know my opposite
neighbor. i did not like 20 make
| inquiries. But, at last, Mrs. Day,
my landlady, said, one day, inciden-
tally, that the name Of the people
/ who had taken the opposite house
was Milford, and that the young
lady was the wife Of the elderly gem
/ tleman.
You could have knocked me down
! with a feather when l heard this in
telligence. But l rallied after 8
while, and asked, boldly, If Mrs.
] Day was certain.
"There is such a disparity in their
ages" l said ''itseems impossible" I"
But she answered very positively,
as landladies do, "that she had il
from the best authority"
My dream was broken. Once or
twice afterward, saw my opposite
neighbOr at her gardening, but /
| always left my window when she
came out; and in a fortnight went
| to Scotland, more to cure myself of
! this hopeless fancy than because
had anything to do in the North
When / came back in the autumn
| the opposite house was closed and
my neighbors gone.
That very afternoon, walking
down Regent street, / met an old
college friend, Tom Birdsell.
"Why, bless me-" he cried, eve
haVn't met for years. Pm just GO
ing to Varrey's to dine. Join me,
and Wen talk of old times, unless
you're married, and must go home
7 to dinner. Not married, eh 2" he
| added, gaily. "Lucky fellow I'm
not exactly married but Pm engaged,
and l want TO make the most of my
liberty. So come along"
We went accordingly.
"Alice is a charming girl, he said,
getting confidential as the dinner
progressed. ''Pm going there this
evening, and, by the way, why
won't you come, too, and give me
your opinion Of her! Lots of mon
ey, can tell you. It's rather a ro-
mantle story; my engagement TO
her, mean. Her father was an old
friend of my fathers, just as you
and are; but they hadn't met for
years. In fact, Alice's papa had
lived at Liverpool, and only came to
London last Spring, when he hired
| q house for six months, till he could
/ look around and buy one for him
| self. The two old fellows ran
against each other accidentally in
| the street, were frightfully glad,
! insisted on Alice and / meeting, and
| finally planned a match between us.
Ny charmer was a little distant, at
| first; but she's coming around now /;
and though the wedding day isn't
fixed, the marriage is to come OF,
the old folks say, some time this
Spring"
"And do you love her 20
"Oh, enough for all practical pur-
poses. She's lady-like and culti-
| vated, and pretty, and all that, and
pity to disapPoiHt the old people,
eh ?"
'iBut you havn't told me her
name 20
Alice Milford. But bless me, old
fellow, what's the matter? 2"
Nothing, or only a sudden
cramp."
'T forgot TO show you her pic
ture," he said. 'ikre il is-a very
good one, too, though l must say il
fiatters her slightly"
! Iknew, before l took the photo
graph in my hand, that it was my
opposite neighbor's. And l had
/ thought her married-oh, how
blind! l turned aside, as if to
throw the light more directly on the
picture; no one must see me while
| looked upon her. How l had loved
her never knew till now
1t was she, looking upon me with
calm, soft eyes-eyes that might
have been my heaven!
"Wen, it's eight O'Clock, and am
I to be there to take coffee at nine.
So we had better be going. No ex-
cuse. Come along" he said, as
drew back.
allowed myself to be led away.
We reached the place; an elegant
mansion in the Regents Park, and
were ushered into the drawing
room.
"Pm very glad TO meet yOu," Mr..
Milford said, on my being introduc-
ed to him. 81 like your face, sir;
and, by the way, IL looks familiar.
Still, never heard your name be-
fore, think"
Alice soon made her appearance.
Stately and star-like she glided in,
greeting her betrothed with a care
less grace, that seemed more like
friendship than love. l was intro
duced. As she gave me her hand q
/ crimson flush shot over her face.
81 thought you were alone" she
said, turning to Tom; 'but your
friend is very welcome"
Tom was evidently very proud Of