The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-09-10
MY JEALOUS NEIGHBOR.
BY UNCLE Lutte,

Lay by your pen, kind friend ant
speak to me. Counsel me condemn
me; pity me. Anything, anything t.
divert my mind, for my heart il
breaking"
These words, half a wall and half {
whisper, fell suddenly upon my ear will
such pathetic appeal for sympathy that
had knife pierced my heart, its keer
throb of pain could not have been great
er. My pen dropped from my fingers,
and L felt. in that moment of sudden
transition from mystic realms of dream.
land, that the sorrow of some soul had
been wrapped around my heart like a
mantle thrown around my person.
Turning around there stood, leaning
yearningly toward me, the charming
young wife of my esteemed friend and
neighbor, Charley -. She had run
across their garden into my sanctum,
unexpected ana unannounced. We had
long been intimate neighbors, so this
liberty did not surprise but her strange,
heart-rending appeal startled me.
Minnie" L said-she was always
Minnie to me-calmly and kindly as my
surprised state would admit, "what is
1t? Tell me your trouble, my child
and whatever L can do you know 1 am
yours to command"
At the sound of my quiet, studied
voice, her wild, flashing eyes filled with
great glistening tears, and hiding her
face in her hands she sank into chair
and sobbed like child. And child she
always seemed to me, though twenty
fruitful autumns had graced her with
their maturing charms. In view of nv
years, which SO greatly contrasted with
n Is and her husbands, they had looked
upon me, or at least she had, more in the
Sight of Platonic father than stranger
with mortal desires and passions. But
as God is my witness, L never looked
upon this bewilderingly beautiful young
girl-wife with other sensations than
those experienced in beholding beauti-
full flower or other attraction of nature.
L was ever passionate admirer of all
beauty III nature, and felt an awe and
alteration fer the same, whether in the
plant or animal kingdom. True, was
not unmindful of those superior at
fractions peculiarly applicable to her by
virtue OF her suX, when contrasted with
other objects worthy of admiration, else
L would not have been manly man.
But to be more explicit, my loyalty to
her state was as chaste as nv adpSira-
ton for the flowers blooming in her
garden. She was always free, JOYOUS
and happy mingling her silvery voice
with the songs of the early birds of
morning; and her musical laugh borne
on the calm of the evening breeze to
my tired mind was a cheering remem-
brance of frequent occurrence. Many
a fresh boquet and tempting dish found
its way on my table, placed there by
her own little hands, prompted, L knew,
by the purest and kindest impulses of
her womanly heart. Sometimes she
and her husband would drop in for
neighborly chat, often begging their
kind uncle, as they were wont to adj
dress me, to read to them from nv
storehouse of lore; and oft the wife
would draw me away from myself in q
train of conversation which only her
intelligent tact and appreciative atten-
tion could do. All this freedom of |
intercourse had broken down |
AL conventional barriers, so much so |
that artless Minnie often ran in alone |
with some question to ask, a bit of news
to tell, or rs before stated some delicacy |
for the palate, or blossom for the eye to
feast on. In turn, lent her books, ran
in with a fresh newspaper, or perhaps a
new poem clipped from some publica-
ton, and conferred each with the other
upon its merits and demerits-youth.
beauty and freshness, and age and sage
experience balancing the scales of our
judgments. But never before had
neighbor Charley's wife Minnie appealed
to me for sympathy. Many, many
care, many saddened thought had her
opporture presence and cheering smiles
dispelled from my life's experience and
now the little dazzling constellation of
mirth and loveliness was transformed to
n sorrow-stricken woman appealing 70
me for a word to soothe, cooling
,'raught to heal the pain of her newly
tried heart. But what was the cause of
her trouble? 1 will tell you, reader,