The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-09-04
WHO WAS HER NEIGHBOR!

WHEN Mrs. Beardsley went to Dial
ton to live she knew very few people
She had lived in city all her life
been educated well, and came of cul
tivated 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 writ
ing for magazines and newspapers.
Whatever the outside world may think,
this is not a lucrative business, and our
friend had other people to help on in
life. so she had laid up nothing; and,
after while, she married a poor man
and came to Dalton, tlourishing
couatry town, to live. They went to
housekeeping in an old house. small
and inconvenient, but of pleasant out
look, and, once settled, began to look
about them. go, Fred! lido hope shall
have nice neighbours" said the little
woman, as they sat at breakfast one
day.
81 don't know, Tina, how you'll like
them; of course they'll like you.''
''That's very proper of you to say,
SIR" laughed Mrs. Beardsley. ssbut am
more apt to like people than they are
to like me''
This was quite true. Justina Boards
ley was very honest, frank, uncon-
ventional and acute; she spoke her
mind too freely to be always a COM
Portable friend. Human nature loves
flattery; and she never flattered; how.
ever, our business is with her neigh
bors.
Up the street lived the Dean family.
Mrs. Dean was handsome, cool, calm
sort OF woman, with three daughters,
all under fourteen. Her husband kept
country store, and had made some
money; her house was very fine, with
shining furniture, Brussels carpets, and
always strictly curtained, screened
and blinded from sun and air. Mrs.
Dean was a very good woman; she
never failed 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 a woman
who did her duty in these respects earn
estly and conscientiously, and never
could understand why every one else
was not equally faithful.
Now her new neighbor was not a
strong woman, and her work was hard.
1t frequently happened to her to have
a dreadful neuralgia headache on Sun.
day, and though she was accustomed
in her youth to go to church as pune.
tiliOusly as the minister himself, and
had really overworked herself in the
city Mission Sunday-Schools, she fire.
quently now spent the dag of rest on
her sofa, with throbbing pangs in her
head and back aching in every fiber.
Nor did she send Tommy, her little
five-year-old boy. to Sunday-School,
for she preferred to teach him at home.
Have you been to see Beardsley's
wife, my dear?' said Mr.. Dean, one
morning, about three weeks after the
new neighbors made their appearance.
NO, not yet. l thought 1 should
not hurry. l do not think she is a very
good person to be intimate with. She
does not send her boy to Sabbath
School, and hardly ever goes to
church. l 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
goodness. She did call ON the new.
conner; 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 q chill such as fol-
lows an iceberg. Mrs. Beardslev
knew she was disapproved of, and
why, for she was quick of discernment;
and, knowing inwardly that she really
did try and wish above all things to be
a Christian woman, she felt sad and
sorry that her light did not shine bet
ter. Then it occurred to her that after
all God knew about it, and knew she
did like to 60 to church, and did not
like to be kept at home with neuralgia
and exhaustion, so she left this new
trouble to Him. Down the street
lived Mrs. Roberts, a well-to-do me-
chanic's wife.
81 see Beardsley's folks have moved
in," was the husbands comment.
eyes, they have; but shan't trouble
them with my company. She's city
woman, and writes for the papers, be.
sides. She won't want to see common
folks like me. Mrs. Dean will call on
her, l presume to say, and the rich
folks in town; but l know enough moi
to 60 where amt wanted, and, more.
over, I! never did like stuck-up folks. -
81 don't know but what we're Just
as good as she is, Marian; and if YOU
come to the money pint ont, l could
buy an sell Fred Beardsley over and
ag'in."
"Well, guess you could; but she's
got her own click, and shan't trouble
her. believe in lettin' folks alone 4
they feel too smart for your kind. |
never did push in where 1 wan,
wanted, and l amt going to begir
now"
So Mrs. Roberts stayed away, strenu
ously held her parasol to the east O,
her if her new neighbor was that way