The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-06
WHO is MY NEIGHB0R 2

WHO is MY NEIGHB0R7
30 what lovely bunch Of panSies
Is it possible they are Tor me ?" ex-
claimed to Jiny, brown-eyed girl who
placed a fragrant bouquet Of the gold
and purple dewv blooms IL my ham
mock in which I was IDLY swinging IN
der the big maple
Aunty Lee sent Them" said the
wee child. " and she hopes the noun
tain air viii soon make you well, and
she's your neighbor, down under the
hill
"Who is this neighborly Aunty Lee?"
asked the woman with whom | board
ed when next she came within hearing
of nv voice.
40, then, she's sent We some posies, y
replied talkative Mrs Evans, coming
briskly from the garden and sitting down
on the steps Of the little porch 50 that
she might entertain me while she was
shelling her pease, thus "klllIn' tew
birds with one stun, AS she said. u
VAS 8 wonderin tev myself not tew
minutes ago how long 'twould be afore
she'd find out about We an send We
suthin'. I can't see, for my part, how
she can afford to do as she does.
Why, what does she dol / in
duired. "Oh, she saws she aims 20
be neighborly, and if anybody happens
to be sick anywheres around she sends
EN- little things TO eat an flowers 10
cheer EN- MP, as she SAYS and she al
WAYS has her knittin' work in her pocket
ana her cid job o knittin' as she
calls It, grows eout ike magic into
gloves and mittens and wristlets an
stockin's that she gives away"
ITO her friends, people fully able TO
bay them, suppose. "
"Oh. dear, no. To poor children an
tew old men an women that, spOse,
are real needy, an that set great store
by her warm and handsome presents,
for her warns are as bright as her flow
ers, an I've told my man a good many
times that the color went half toward
maxim her little gift so welcome. An
then she has so much comp'ny.
''Rich people from the city, whose
visits she returns ??
"Oh. land sakes. no; poor folks that
are tickled most 70 death TO get an irvi-
tatiou 10 her pleasant little home. Yis,
her home is an smazin' pleasant one.
though her man is only poor me-
chanic. She's always a sayin' that she'd
rather dew little good every day as she
goes along, than tew be q waitin' 10 dew
some great thing when she gets able,
and then, p'raps, lose her opportunity
and never do notAin'. told her one
dav last year, saws |, Miss Lee, SAYS /,
i should ruther be putin by little
sumthin' in the bank for a rainy day,
than TO be givin' away all the time.
And, says she, Mrs. Evings, says she.
That's your way an it's a good way. l
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 I should pass away
without ever dom anything for nv
Master. An / don't want 10 so to bed
q night without thinkin' that have that
day tried tes tighten some fellow NOR
tails burden, brought smile to some
face, or q streak o. sunshine tew some
heart, il it's only a givin' a bunch O.
posies in the right speret. >
"And these flowers cost her n good
deal, first and last, l suppose p said /,
caressing my pansies.
.Oh, 'twUuld cost me a good deal to
run sich a flower garden as she does,
but Miss Lee saws 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
compliments with bunch o. posies"
" She hires some one 10 carry them
about. / presume?'
"Massy, no. There isn't a child in
the village bat what would run it's legs
off for Aunty Lee" and having finished
Smelling her mess Of pease, my talkative
little hostess trotted about her work
again, saying, as she disappeared
through the doorway, "Is's well
enough to be neighborly, of course, but
Mis- Lee may see the time when she'd
a wished she had leetle sumthin' cont
at interest"
The Vermont mountain air agreed
with me, my health gradusllyimproving,
and ] stayed on and on, week after week,
spending a great part Of my time, when
the weather did not positively forbid, in
my hammock under the naples. AS vet
] 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
heavy thunder shower. The sudden
downfall Of rain swelled the little river
that skirted our village to a veritabIe
mountain torrent. A mill-dam some
miles up the stream had broken away
and the angry flood came rushing down
sweeping all before it.
'Aunty Lees husbands shop has
gone" shouted my hostess, Mrs. Ev-
ans, rs she knocked at my door in the
1srly morning after the storm; "and
that's not the worst ont, for her garden
is all washed eout and undermined, so
that it'n take q purity pile O. money
tew fix it up again, il ever tbs fixed.
/ wonder now ef Mis- Lee don't wish
she hadn't been quite so neighborly, and
so had little sumthin' cont at interest,
and it really seemed TO ne 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 rs doleful look.
ing visage as ever saw. Whatever
is agoin' to become o me and my man, I"
cried she; "an' we a gettin' to be old
folk, few. Our savings were all in the
stock comp'ny up to Minotsville, because
they paid more interest than the bank;
we only TUX it eout o. the bank little
while ago, and meow their old mill has
gone clean off, an they'll all go to gin
eral 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 "chip-
per" as ever. The nosegay came to me
everyday as usual, not quite SO many,
nor SO great a variety as formerly, for o
part OF the garden had been washed
away, but enough TO give me an increas.