Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-08-27
WHO WAS Her NEIGHbOR.
ROSE TERRY COOKE.

When Mrs. Beardsley went to Dalton
to live she knew very few people. She
had lived in city all her life, been ed
ucated well, and came of cultivated
and rather proud family; but she was
not proud in their fashion. She had al
ways earned her own living in one way
or another, chiefly by writing for maya
mines 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 had lsid up nothing; and after
while she married poor man and came
to Dalton, s. fourishlng country town, to
live. They went to housekeeping in 81
old house, small and inconvenient, but
Of pleasant outlook, and once settled,
began to lock about them. oh, Fredl
I do hope l shall have nice neighbors,"
said the little woman, as they sat at
breakfast one day.
"I don't know, Tina, how you'll like
them; of course they'll like you"
HThat's very proper for you to say,
sir" laughed Mrs. Beardsley, shut am
more apt to like people than they are to
like me-
This was quite true. Justina Boards
ley was very honest, frank, unconven-
tional and acute: she spoke her mind too
freely to be always a comfortable friend.
Human nature loves hattery, and she
never fattered; however, our business is
with her neighbors.
Up the street lived the Dean family.
Mrs Dean was handsome, cool, calm
sort of woman, with three daughters, all
under IA. Her husband kept country
store. and had made some money; her
house was very fine, with shining furni-
ture, Brussels carpets, and always strictly
curtained, screened and blinded from sun
and air. Mrs. Dean was very good
wome n; 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 earnestly
and conscientiously, and never could un-
derstand why every one else was equally
faithful.
Now her new neighbor was not 8
strong woman, and her work was hard.
It 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 punctilious-
~ as the minister himself, and had really
overworked herself in the city mission
Sunday-schools, she frequently spent
the day Of rest on her sofa, with throb-
ing pangs in her head, and back ach-
ing in every fiber. Nor did che send
Tommy, her little 5.year-old boy, to Sun
day-school, for she preferred to teach him
at home.
''Have you been to see Beardsley' 8
wife, my dear?" said Mr.. Dean, one
morning. about three weeks after the
new neighbors made their appearance.
ono, not yet; thought should not
hurry. / do not think she is very
good person to be intimate with. She
does net send her boy to Sabbath-school,
and hardly ever goes to church. ] do
not wish to encourage such 8 person to
visit Us freely"
Mr.. Dean said no more. His wifes
chin was square. and her lips thin; he
really respected her rather Sc
we're goodness. She did call On
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 chill such as fol-
lows al iceberg. Mrs. Beardsley knew
she was disapproved of, and why, for she
was quick of diseernpent; and, knowing
inwardly that she really did try and
wish above al things 10 be Christian
woman, she felt sad and sorry that her
light did not shine better. Then it occur
TO ar hot I'll 81 I,
1t, and knew she did like to go to church,
and did not like to be kept to home with
neuralgia and exhaustion, so she left
this new trouble to him.
Down the street lived Mrs. Roberts, q
well-to-do mechanics wife.
=" see Beardsley's folks have moved
H." was the husbands comment.
Yes, they have; but shan't trouble
them with my company. She's a CITY
woman, and writes for the papers
besides. She won't want to see common
folks like me. Mrs. Dean will call on
her, presume to say, and the rich folks
in town; but know enough ont to &c
where [ amt wanted, and moreover, ]
never did like stuck-up folks"
g. don't know but what we're just as
good as she is, Marian; and if you come
to the money pint ont, 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. I believe in lettin' folks alone il
they fell to smart for your kind. / new
aer did push in where ] want wanted"
and amt going TO begin now.
SO Mrs. Roberts stayed away, strenu-
usly held her parasol to the east of her
If her new neighbor was that way
although the sun bIazed toward the
west, and passed by on the other side.
Mrs. Beardsley comprehended the mat
ter and laughed softly; she would some
time undertake Mrs Roberts, she thought
and convert her to her own theory of