The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-10-08
WHO WAS HER NEIGHBOR.

va VAeS VI VI tAC II pS ult1Nc!
-Harper's Magazine for October
WHO WAS HER NEIGHBOR.
Rose Terry Cooke in the Congregationalist.
When Mrs. Beardsly went to Dalton to
live she knew very few people. She had
lived IN a city all her life, been educated
we'll, and came Of cultivated and rather
proud family; but she was not proud in
their fashion. She had always earned
her own living in one way or another,
chiefly by writing for magazines and
newspapers. Whatever the outside world
may think, this is not a lucrative bust
ness, and our friend had other people to
help on in life, so she had laid up moth
ing; and, after while she married poor
man and came to Dalton, hourishing
country town, to live. They went to
housekeeping in an old house, small and
inconvenient, but Of pleasant outlook,
and, once settled, began to look about
them. 20, Fred I do hope I shall have
nice neighbors," said the little woman,
rs they sat at breakfast one day.
~ don't know, Tina, how you'll like
them; of course they'll like you"
'That's very proper Of you to say, sir, y
laughed Mrs. Beardsley, 'but am more
apt 70 like people than they are to like
me-"
This was quite true. Justina Boards
ley was very honest, frank, unconven-
tlonal and acute; she spoke her mind too
freely to be Away a comfortable friend.
Human nature loves fattery, and she
never tlattered; however, our business is
with our neighbors.
Up the street lived the Dean family.
Mrs. Dean was a handsome, cool, calm
sort OF woman, with three daughters. all
under fourteen. Her husband kept 4
country store, and had made some mon
ey; her house was very fine, with shining
furniture, Brussels carpets, and always
strictly curtained, screened and blinded
from sun and air: Mrs. Dean was vcry
good woman, she never tailed to attend
every meeting there was, and she ALWAYS
went to church, rain or shine, and took
her children to Sunday school with the
same persistence. She was woman who
did her duty in these respects earnestly
and conscientiously, and never could un-
derstand why every one else was not
equally faithful.
Now her new neighbor was not q
strong woman, and her work was hard.
1t frequently happened to her to have a
dreadful neuralgia headache on Sunday,
and though she was accustomed in her
youth to go to church as pcnct1liously as
the minister himself, and had really over
worked herself in the city mission Sun
day-schools, she frequently now spent the
day of rest on her sofa, with throbbing
pains in her head, and back aching in
every fiber. Nor did she send TOMMY.
her little fve-year- old boy, to Sunday.
school, for she preferred to teach him at
home.
"Have you been to see Beardsley's wife,
my dearl' said Mr.. Dean, one morning
about three weeks after the new neigh
bors made their appearance.
mo, not yet. I thought I should not
hurry. do not think she is very good
person to be intimate with. She does
not send her boy to Sabbath school, and
hardly ever goes to church. do not
wish to encourage such person to visit
us freely
Mr.. Dean said no more. His wife's
chin was square and her lips thin; he
really respected her rather severe good.
ness. She did call upou the newcomer,
was little Mortified to find what common
furniture she had, and how the sun
streamed in on the old three-ply carpet;
and she went away, leaving behind her a
chill such as follows an iceberg. Mrs.
Beardsley knew she was disapproved of,
and why, for she was quick of discern
ment; and, knowing inwardly that she
really did try and wish above all things
to be Christian woman, she felt sad and
sorry that her light did not SHINE better.
Then it occurred to her that after all God
knew about it, and knew she did not like
to go to church, and did not like to be
kept at home with neuralgia and exhaus-
ton, so she left this new trouble to Him.
Down the street lived Mrs. Roberts. a
well-to-do mechanics wife.
II see Beardsley's folks have moved il. -
was the husbands comment. ." Z!
eyes, they have; but / shan't trouble
them with my company. She's CITY
woman, and writes for the papers, beside.
She won't want to see common folks like
me. Mrs. Dean will call On her, I pre-.
sumo to say, and the rich folks In town
but l know enough not to 60 where amt
wanted, and, moreover, I never die like
stuck-up tofks::" 's* .@1." IT'S ID
II don't know but what we're just as
good as she is, Marian; and if you come
to the money p'iut ont, I could buy an
Sell Fred Bcardsley over an ag'in."
swell, | guess you could; but she's got
her own click, and shan't tronhle her.
l believe in lettin' folks alone ifthey feel
too smart for your kind. 1 never did
push in where I want wanted, and I
amt going to begin now.'' ~,.1
SO, Mrs. Roberts stayed away, strenu-