The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-05-23
WHO Is MY NEIGHB0R I?

80 what lovely bunch of pansies
Is it possible they are for me ?" ex-
claimed to a tiny, brown. eyed girl who
placed fragrant bouquet of the gold
and purple dewy blooms in my ham
mock in which was idly swinging un-
der the big maple.
"Aunty Lee sent them," said the
wee child, and she hopes the noun
tain air will soon make you we'll, and
she's your neighbor, down under the
hill -
"Who is this neighborly Aunty Lee?'
asked the woman with whom 1 board
ed when next she came within hearing
of my voice.
40, then, she's sent ye some posies, {"
replied talkative Mrs. Evans, coming
brlskly from the garden and sitting down
on the steps of the little porch so that
she might entertain me while she was
shelling her pease, thus "killin' tew
birds with one stun," as she said. 81
vas a wonderin' tew myself not few
minutes ago how long 'twould be afore
she'd find ont about we an send ye
suthin'. I can't see, for my part, how
she an afford to do as she does."
"Why, what does she dow I in
quired. "Oh, she says she aims to
be neighborly, and if anybody happens
to be sick anyUheres around she sends
'em little things to eat an flowers TO
cheer EN- up. as she says and she al
ways has her knittin' work in her pocket
and her 'odd job O. knittin'' as she
calls it, grows eout like magic into
gloves and mittens and wristlets an
stockip's that she gives away"
s''TO her friends napnl9 fullV ahll to
buy them, I suppose"
s'Oh, dear, no. To poor children mn
tew old men an 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 fow-
ers, an I've told my man good many
times that the color went half toward
maxim her little gift SO welcome. An
then she has so much comp'ny."
erich people from the city, whose
visits she returns p
ooh, land sakes, no; DOOR folks that
are tickled most to death to get an irvi.
tation to her pleasant little home. Yis,
her home is an amaZin' pleasant one.
though her man is only q poor me-
chanic. She's always sayin' that she'd
rather dew little good every day as she
goes along, than tew be q waitin' to dew
some great thing when she gets able,
and then, p'raps, lose her opportunity
and never do nothip'. told her one
day last year, says I, Miss Lee,' says I,
Il should ruther be putin by little
sumthin' in the bank for a rainy day,
than to be a givin' away all the time.
And, says she, Mrs. Evings, says she.
That's your way an it's good way. /
don't find no fault with it, but all these
little things that 1 give away would
never git into the bank, an so, you see,
they'd be lost, an I should pass away
without ever dom anything for my
Master. An don't want to go to bed
a night without thinkin' that have that
day tried tew tighten some fellow NOR
tails burden, brought smile to some
face, or streak O. sunshine tew some
heart, if it's only givin' bunch O.
posies in the right speret.'"
"And these flowers cost her good
deal, first and last, suppose ?" said I,
caressing my pansies.
:Oh, 'Iwould cost me good deal to
run sich a flower garden as she does,
but Miss Lee says she's not strong, so
she gifts fresh air, sun baths and eXer-
else in her garden and spends her time
workin' in there instead of visitin'.
She returns all her calls by sendin' her
compliment 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 peasc, my talkative
little hostess trotted about her work
nral
through the doorway, "It's we'll
enough to be neighborly, of course, but
Mis- Lee may see the time when she'd
wished she had leetle sumthin' eout
at interest"
The Vermont mountain air agreed
with me, 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.
One night, late in August, there was
a heavy thunder shower. The sudden
downfall of rain swelled the little river
that skirted our village to veritable
mountain torrent. A mill-dam some
miles up the stream had broken away
and the angry food came rushing down
sweeping all before it.
"Aunty Lees husbands shop has
gone" shouted my hostess. Mrs. Ey.
ans. 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
tsw ax II up again, II ever tbs fxed.