The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-04-30
AN EASTER LILY.

Feuds are not of the Middle Ages only.
In the milder forms permitted by mod
Bern civilization they exist all the world
over. even in decorous New England.
Such a feud had for over thirty years
subsisted between the Greers ofthe Sum-
mit and the Greers of the Hollow, two
substantial farmsteads distant about
fifteen miles from each other. Fifteen
miles is an excellent quarreling distance.
1t is near enough to promote frequent
collision, and quite too far to admit of
the softening influences of everyday in
tercourse. There are versions and coun-
ter-yersions us to the exact cause of the
original dispute Either side has its
story, agreeing as to general facts, but
widely differing as to the deductions in
volved. 1t was the gold and the silver
shield over again. So much was con-
ceded, that the alienation began with
two old Greers, brothers, long since
dead, who had gone to law about bit of
".medder land" The suit was decided,
after his decease, in favor of Sam Greer
of the Summit. Later came quarrel
between the sons of the old men respect
ing the ancestry Of cow, avowed by
one and denied by the other to be of the
true Jersey breed. Sam Greer the
Younger met "young Tom of the Hol-
low at n county fair; words ensued, and
the result of the words was an action
for assault and battery. The breach
widened, as breaches will. Absolute
non-intercourse was enforced between
thefamilies during Sam Greer's lifetime,
and respect for his wishes, combined
with esprit de ,fdrltlte, continued it after
his decease. His children were too young
to reason about the matter; his wife,
. mild, tenacious woman, saw no occasion
for interference. "It wasn't none of her
affair, but Mr.. Greer had a strong fell
ing about it, and she guessed things
y. might as well stay as they were. Quar-
ting was wrong-she knew that well
efBugh-but this wasn't quarreling,
She never had spoken to any Of the Hol-
low people in her life, and she never
wanted to; they went their way, and she
went hers" Having thus disposed of
l.. thematter according to her light and
conscience, Mrs. Greer dismissed it from
her mind, and sent her daughters to a
seminary" her boy to the School OF
Technology, and settled herself in COM
fort to enjoy the privileges and immuni-
ties of widowhOOd and the headship OF
the farm-privileges from which, she
said to herself, she was not likely to be
ousted for some time to come, Philip
her son, being only eighteen, with his
education before him, and not the sort
offellow who would want TO settle down
early and take thiI out of her hands
Meanwhile, to Greers of the Hol.
low had also ari Il those changes
which await all m conditions. As
their relatives of L umnit waxed il
prosperity, they wa -, Young Tom
was old Tom now, II Dedridden paraly
tic, with faculties overloaded by the
.mists of his fearful malady. His wife
@ though good woman, as the neighbor
hood allowed, as well-appearing anC
good-hearted a woman as could be, haC
no faculty or knack of management
about her. There was no son to stel
into the fathers place and fill the breach
only a slip of daughter, and girls-sucl
girls as Azalea Greer, at least-do no
count for much. This odd name O
Azalea was first and last effort of fame
on the part of her mother, who imagine
a resemblance between the rose fairnes
of her baby and the delicate pink-whit
blossoms Just then abloom in tn
thiekets which bordered the home
meadow.
She was a pretty creature, gentle an
slender, with a shy woodland grace nc
Unlike that of hf namesake, and the rC
mantle name Suited her better than sue
titles usually do their wearers. Lik
theirs the pure pale pink which tinged he
cheeks, and the soft clear white int
which it melted, while the singular
fresh red of her mouth supplied th'
point of brighter color which gives