The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-05-27


heod on Friday, and at dinner the next
day Mrs. Coblsigh said 10 her husband:
"CObleigh, new family has taken Hol-
combs house. and guess iii run Overland
see them this afternoon" ..sv. ess--
You don't know them, DO your said
Mr.. CObleigh, in some SurRriSe.
why, no; but that don't make any
tdiffereneein such a case. for. YOU see, they
are total strangers, and it's proper that the
older neighborS should call on them out of
courtesy. Now. [ know how I'D feel if [
was in their plaCe-nOt knowing a soul
about here-I'd like to have some one call.
And so, [ want 10 do TO them as I'd like
them to do TO me, you know"
Mr.. Cobleigh was much pleased with
this expression of the golden rule from his
wife, and told her so.
(" rhe other neighbors will be calling
without doubt, she added, land don't
want TO be among the last"
After washing the dinner dishes and put
ting things to rights, Mrs. CObleigh put
herself in excellent condition, and started
out on her laudable call.
At the tea-table Mrs. CObleigh said TO
her husband:
81 went over to see the folks at Hol-
combs this afternoon"
"Ah," said he, "was she glad to see
you
so yes; / asked her if there had been
any OF the other neighbors in, and she said
was the first. She amt very old-nOt
more than thirty, L should say-and she
has got three children, one Of them baby.
The two others are boy and girl, both
of them old enough to be of help TO her.
The boy was off Somewhere, and the girl
was racing through the yard like wild
Iniun, although she is eleven years old,
and looks as strong as horse. Now, if
our Mary was one-halt as strong as that
trollop I'd be satisfied. 1t makes me so
veXed to see a mother shaving her life away
and big tom-boy of girl tearing around
the place like all possessed. She came in
the house only once while | was there,
and then she stood up against her mother
like great baby and put her finger
i'm her mouth and flouted herself like
spoiled child. / don't see for the life of
me what the women Ofthe age are thinking
of to bring up children in that way. And
she looked herself if she was ready to
drop with all the care and work. Her
husband is a shoemaker. and works at the
factory. They can't be in such very good
circumstances, don't think, for the par
lor carpet is only twO-ply ingram, and
noticed it was spotted in several places.
The parlor chairs are just common wood
stained, and she has large, awkward
bed-lOunge instead of tete-a-tete, and it
doesn't match with the chairs at all. Her
crOckery is simply stone china, and there
are several old pieces among it. She did
not have any china, at least [ didn't see
any, and if she'd had it she'd show d it, i
know. Sheain't going to have any thing
on the kitchen floor, and only piece of
oil-cloth in the dining-rOOm. What oil
cloth saw was old and faded. She has
got up the kitchen stove-it's like old Mrs.
RansOm's-but it was covered with grease.
and some of the pipe was badly rusted. /
don't see why people can be so careless
with their property. That pipe would
last ten years if it was properly cared for.
Then her parlOr stove stood out in the
shed, without any thing over it. and it
will pretty soon 90 the way Ofthe kitchen
pipe. IspOke to her about it, but she said
She didn't think it would take any harm.
o, she's an easy one, that's plain enough
to be seen, and if she don't have trouble
with that girl before many years pass,
then I'm no prophet The baby was on the
floor when was over there. playing with
some empty bottles. It's real bright
child. but it don't have proper attention.
| don't believe it's h+ir has seen comb
in three days, and its clothes look as if
they had been mOpped over the floor for
fortnight; they were as black as ink. /
declare it seemed like getting into a new
world to get back home. But had to
20, of course, and am glad nov it is over
with. 1t won't be necessary for me to
call again.
And Mrs. Cobleigh, having discharged
a Christian duty to neighbor, gathered
up the crumbs from her lap with napkin,
and smiled cOmplacently upon the family.
-Danburv NeioS.