Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-07-31
Who Is My Neighbor!

!
idly swinging under the big maple.
"Aunty Lee sent them," said the wee
child "and she hopes the mountain air will
soon make you well, and she's your neigh
Dor down under the hill"
"Who is this neighbor Aunty Lee ?"
asked the woman with whom | boarded
when next she came within hearing OF
my voice.
60 then, she's sent ye some posies," re.
piled talkative Mrs. Evans, coming briskly
from the garden and sitting down on the
steps of the little porch so that she might
entertain me while she was sheling her
peas, thus "killn' tew birds with one stun,
as she said. " was a wonderin' tew my.
self not tew minutes ago how long 'twould be
afore she'd find ye out an send ye suthin'
| can't see, for my part, how she can afford
to do as she does"
"Why, what does she do / inquired
"Oh, she says she aims to be neighborly,
and if anybody happens to be sick any
where's around she sends 'em little things to
eat an flowers to cheer 'em up, as she
says; and she always has her knttin' work
in her pocket, and her odd job O. knttin',
as she calls it, grows eout like magic into
gloves and mittens and wristlets an stockin's
that she gives away"
"To her friends, people fully able to buy
them, | suppose"
"Oh, dear, no. To poor children an tew
old men an old women that, spose, are
real needy, an that set great store by her
warm and handsome presents, for her yarns
are as bright as her flowers, an I've told my
man good many times that the color went
half toward maxim her little gift so well
come. An then she has so much comply"
erich people from the city, whose visits
she returns ?"
"Oh, land sakes, no; poor folks that are
tickled most to death to git an invitation to
her pleasant little home. Yis, her home is
an amazin' pleasant one, though her man is
only poor mechanic. She's always a sayin'
that she'd rather dew little good every day
as she goes along than tew be waitin' to
dew some great thing when she gifts able,
and then, p'raps lose her opportunity and
never do nothin'. | told her one day last
year, says |, Miss Lee says |, Il should
ruther be a putin by little sumthin' in the
bank for rainy day than to be givin'
away all the time And, says she, Miss
Evans, says she, that's your way, an it's
a good way. don't find no fault with it,
but all these little things that | give away
would never git into the bank, an so, you
see, they'd be lost an | should pass away
without ever doin' anything for my Master.
An | don't want to go bed a night with
out thinkin' that | have that day tried tew
tighten some feler-mortal's burden, brought
a smile to some face, or streak O. sunshine
tew some heart, if it's only givin' bunch
o. posies i'll the right speret.'"
And these flowers cost her good DEAL
first and last, | suppose ?" said |, caressing
my pansies.
"Oh, 'twould cost me a good deal to run
such flower garden as she does, but Mis- Lee
says she's not strong so she gifts fresh air.
sunbaths and exercise in her garden and
spends her time workin' in there instead of
visitin'. She returns all her calls by sendin'
her compliments with bunch O. posies."
"She hires some one to carry them about,
| presume" !"
"Massy, no. There isn't child in the
village but what would run its legs off for
Aunty Lee, and having finished shelling her
mess of peas, my talkative little hostess
trotted about her work again, saying, as she
disappeared through the doorway, It's
well enough to be neighborly, of course, but
Mis- Lee may see the time when she'd a
wished she had leetle sumthin' eout at in
t'rest."
hC ' al az lttI WIN
my health gradually improving, and stayed
on and on, week after week. spending great
part of my time, when the weather did not
positively forbid, in my hammock under the
naples. As yet | had not once seen my
neighbor, Aunty Lee, but grew to love her
on account of the pretty nosegays that daily
found their way from her hand to mine by
one and another child messenger.
0na niuht lota in Auouct tbara ,rac q
heavy thunder shower. The sudden down
fall of rained swelled the little river that
skirted our village to a veritable mountain
torrent. A mill-dam, some miles up the
stream had broken away and the angry
flood came rushing down, sweeping all be-
fore it.
"Aunty Lees husbands shop has gone"
shouted my hostess, Mrs. Evans, as she
knocked at my door in the early morning
after the storm sand that's not the worst
ont, for her garden is all washed eout and
undermined, so that it'll take purity pile O.
money tew fix it up again, if ever It's fixed,
| wonder now eff Mis- Lee don't wish she
hadn't been quite so neighborly, and so had
little sumthin' eout at interest" and it
really seemed to me as if the brisk little
woman chuckled to herself as she patted
down the stairs.
In less than half an hour she came back
to my room with as doleful looking visage
as ever saw. "Whatever is agoin' to be-
come o me and my man." cried she; and
we a gettin' to be old folks, tew. Our savin's
were all in the stock comply up to Minots-
vile, because they paid more interest than
the bank we only TUX it eout O. the bank a
little while ago, and meow their old mill has
gone clean off, an they'll all go to gineral
smash and we along with em," and this
time she went slowly groaning down the
stairs. | could not help plying the woman
from the bottom of my heart
There was great excitement in the little
village, as a matter of course but Aunty
Lee was reported to be as "chipper" as
ever. The nosegay came to me every day
as usual, not quite so many, nor so great
variety as formerly, for part of the garden
had been washed away, but enough to give
me an increased admiration for the sweet
old lady who was so persistent and un-
wearying in her neighborly acts of kindness
The next Mondays local newspaper had
this unique notice at the head of the items
"All who have ever been the recipients OF
kindly deeds from Aunty Lee and who
would like to reciprocate now in her day OF
misfortune, are invited TO bring their supper
to Oak Grove on Thursday afternoon at
five o'clock, and talk the matter up over a
neighborly cup OF tea"
At the time appointed | had a carriage
come TO take my hostess and me, and my
basket of cakes and buns fresh from the
bakery to the beautiful grove. As we were
driven along was surprised to see so many
people, lunch-baskets in hand, speeding in
the same direction.
"Almost everybody in town is going"
said Mrs. Evans, high AN low, rich n poor. -
As was being assisted to a seat gentle,
motherly little woman spread a soft shawl
over the back of the chair intended for me,
and quickly folded another shawl for my
lame foot TO rest upon.
This is Aunty Lee" said Mrs. Evans,
and the sweetfaced little woman and |
looked into each others faces with a little
curiosity perhaps, as well as sympathy, and
shook hands cordially. :" don't know what
all these good people are to do with Elijah
and me, she said with a smile that was as
genial as a sunbeam, "but the minister
would have us come, and he and his wife
drove around for u.s."
The minister assembled the platform Just
then, and alter tenderly yet impressively in
voking the divine blessing, he looked down
benignly upon the faces upturned TO his and
with touching intonation of voice asked /:
-" Who is my neighbor 2" lie went on to
tell how Aunty Lee had answered that
question in regard to herself