Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-07-09
Two Mad Women.
jlFrom the Danbury News. ]

JlRFom ths DanDury News
Two women on Essex street are
mad at each other. They both live
in the same house-one up stairs and
the other down stairs They have
been mad at each other over two
weeks, and the trouble arose about
the priority of claim to the rain water
spout on the south corner of the house.
From the hour the woman down stairs
moved away the tub of the woman up
stairs, and put her own in its place,
they have not spoken. They both use
the same cellar and the same stoop.-
upstairs has to pass through the
part OF Downs Stairs to get down the
cellar or out into the yard. They
meet III the walk, on the stoop, on the
stairs, in the hall, but they do not
speak. Upstairs watches from the
window until Downstairs gets out of
the yard, and Downstairs waits to
hear the descending steps of Up Stairs
to get out of the way before the arri
val. And yet in spite of these precau-
tons, twenty times day they pass
each other, and are pressed together
in the doorways. But there is not a
word, not look, not a motion Of rec
ignition. Downstairs curls her up
per lip and brings hard expression
into her eyes and face on the appear
ance of Upstairs. On recognizing
this Up Stairs assumes an expression
of supreme Indifference. And both
experience intense satisfaction in so
doing. They are mad at each other,
are those two women. Not mad be-
cause Of the rain water and the antag-
onistic tubs; it has gone way beyond
that now, but Upstairs is mad at
Downstairs, because Downstairs is
mad at Upstairs. And yet with these
rancorous feelings in each breast, and
constant self-inflicted irritation in con-
sequence thereof, it is happy house.
| Never before was there such clear
singing, such hearty laughter, such
merry voices in talk as are daily heard
in that house of distrust and bitterness.
Up Stairs trllls her happiest melodies
in a key so high that it cannot fail to
pierce the floor and ceiling between
her and her neighbor, and glorles in
the disaster working in the heart of
Down Stairs as tie strains reach her.
No sooner does she cease than Down
Stairs pours out her soul in happy
song, Increasing its power as she by
intuition realizes the jar it is bringing
to the feelings of the hateful Up Stairs,
while Upstairs CRATES her teeth in
the seclusion of her own apartment
and uncomfortably listens to what she
would gladly shut out. And how
those two women laugh Their risi
bilities appear to be on the most deli
cate springs which the slightest touch
throws into motion. And such mer
ry laughs! so free from trace of care,
so hearty, so ringing, SO happy in their
ripping. And the vivacity of their
talk to casual neighborly visitors is
beyond our description. Up Stairs
knows when Down Stairs has compa-
ny by the merry tone of the entertain
er, and strains her ear in vain to catch
the voice of the new conner. To see
her now-with fingers nervously press
ing palms-with color going and com
ing at the back of that loud, care-free
voice below-with mouth compressed
in the sorest kind of pain, one must
rub his eyes right hard to recognize
her an hour later in the hutteriI g rib
bons, bright colors, proud step, and
self satisfied air of the lady on whom
Down Stairs is evil glazing through
the apertures of her front blinds, as
she steps down the walk and smiling
| ly mods to the right and left.