The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-03-13

mean the money to pay for them-that
is an enigma apart-but the groceries
themselves. No express wagon, nc
butchers cart, no vehicle of any de-
scription, was ever observed to stop al
their domicile. Yet they did not order
family stores at the sole establishment
in the village-an inexhaustible little
bottle of shop which Il advertise il
gratis) can turn out any thing in the
way of groceries, from handsaw to a
ocket-handkerchief. l confess that ]
allowed this unimportant detail of their
housekeeping to occupy more OF my
speculation than was creditable to me.
In several respects our neighbors re-
minded me of those inexplicable persons
we sometimes come across in great
cities, though seldom or never in
suburban places, where the field may be
supposed too restricted for their opera
tions-persons who have no perceptible
means of subsistence and manage to live
royalty on nothing year. They hold
no Government bonds, they possess no
real-estate (our neighbors did own their
house,, they toll not, neither do they
spin; yet they reap all the numerous
soft advantages that usually result from
honest toll and skillful spinning. How
do they do it? But this is depression,
and am quite of the opinion of the old
lady in David Copperfield, who says,
'let us have no meandering!"
Though my wife had declined to risk
a ceremonious call on our neighbors as
family, l saw no reason why should
not speak to the husband as an indi-
vidual, when l happened 10 encounter
him by the wayside. 1 made several
approaches to do so, when it occurred
to my penetration that my neighbor had
the air of trying to avoid me. l re-
solved to put the suspicion to the test,
and one forenoon, when he was saun-
tering along on the opposite side of the
road, in the vicinity of Fishers saw
mill, deliberately crossed over to adj
dress him. The brusque manner in
which he hurried away was not to be
misunderstood. OF course / was not
going to force myself upon him.
1t was at this time that began to
form uncharitable suggestions touch
ing our neighbors, and would have been
as well pleased if some of my choicest
fruit trees had not overhung their wall.
| determined to keep my eyes open later
IN the season, when the fruit should be
ripe to pluck. In some folks, sense
OF the delicate shade of difference be-
tween meun ct tuuna does not seem .
be very strongly developed in the Moon
OF Cherries, to use the old Indian phrase.
l was sufficiently ragnanimous not to
impart any of these sinister impressions
to the families with whom we were on
visiting terms; for l despise gossip.
l would say nothing against the persons
up the road until l had something def
mite to say. My interest in them was
well, not exactly extinguished, but
burning low. met me gentleman at
intervals, and passed him without
recognition; at rarer intervals | saw
the lady.
After while l not only missed nv
occasional glimpses of her pretty, slim
figure, always draped in some soft black
stuff with bit o. scarlet at the throat,
but inferred that she did not go about
the house singing in her light-hearted
as formerly. What had hap
pened9 Had the honeymoon suffered
eclipse already? Was she ill? / fancied
she was i'll and that detected certain
anxiety in the husband, who spent The
mornings digging solidarity in the gar
den, and seemed to have relinquished
those long jaunts to the brow of Blue
Hill, where there is superb view COM
bined with sundry venerable rattle
snakes with twelve rattles.
AS the days went by it became certain
that the lady was confined to the house.
perhaps seriously i'll, possibly con
tirmed invalid. Whether she was at
tended by physician from Canton or
Milton l was unable to say; but neither
the gig with the large white allopashic
horse, nor the gig with the homeopath-
lc sorrel mare, was ever seen hitched at
the gate during the day. If physician
had charge of the case, he visited his
patient only at night. All this moved
my sympathy, and reproached myself
with having had hard thoughts of our
neighbors. Trouble had come to them
early. l would have liked to offer them
such small, friendly services as Law in
my power; but the memory of the re-
pulse had sustained ranked in me. So
[ hesitated.
One morning my two boys burst into
he library with their eyes sparkling.
"You know the old elm down the
'oad?" cried one.
eyes"
The elm with the hang birds nest?n
hrieked the other.
"Yes, yes!"
Swell, we both just c, 'obed mp and
here's three young ones III it!n
Then l smiled " Atink our new
leighbors had got sucas promising lit
lie familY.-T. b. do u .4hantic
Monthly.
Brisbin's Garden.