The Northern Pacific farmer., 1882-11-02
FRONT DOORS.
by Annie Ell

II don't believe there are, Dut."
Don't believe what?"
There are people living III any ii
these houses"
Dot raised her eyes from her inter
m'nable crocheting for moment, and
glanced up and down the village street.
lit doesn't look much like it," she as
sented
We were =ittiug on the top ste p Of the
front entrance Of az Old far M house in a
Maine village. I mad been reading, but
tad dropped my book, leaned my head
against The door-post, and meditated for
some minutes. I had never imagined.
quiet so absolute-~save for the distant
sound, constant, soothing, and magnetic,
Of the unseen breakers rolling up the
saId below the opposite slope-as the
quiet OF this AIaiAe village street. There
were houses ON every side; wen-to-do
looking country houses, with ellns shad-
ing tlieir FROST doors and gates; but no
body ever went in or out, 10 servant
maid shook a dust-cleth out Of any of
the windows no children tumbled over
each other in any Of the front yards
There was . dog residing opposite that I
was.Watching--l Skye, which seemed to
suggest civilization and blue ribbon and
city streets. He trotted out moment
ago, and lay down in the road with an
tlr Of sullen apathy. There was no So
cletv inside the fence, perhaps there
might be some in the highway. It al
most seems as if he. was willing to be run
over for the sake of creating little di-
version. But he soon trotted back in q
suhIurd manner; the society, such as it
is, is mol 10 his taste. He tried a feeble
bark at a man in broad hat. and wo-
man in waterproof, but it was not a
success; he felt It was not hlmself.
"nnt," said |, "they talk about hard
working New England farmers"
"Nno .lo2' =
oh, ttey-evervbody How can
they work i!arl in such an atmosphere
!: his? In the rus:l and competition of
lily life it IS natural to work, to be oc.,
cuped is ones normal condition-",: !,
lit 5 singular how successfully some
people accustOm themselves to nor
NAL one"
of one is not working hard to gc,f
money, one must work hard to get RI;
Of it. But here, among these silent
houses and under these ellns, and within
sound Of these breakers, work is ont Of
place, It is like playing croouet on Sun
day-it NAV or may not be wrong, but
it is disturbing"
did you make that up, or did you
just read it?"
II made it it up. Don't you think it's
rather good'
"Its not bad"
"Do you notice that whenever wag-
on drives by, it's such an event that we
watch It, from its first appearance down
the road to its final disappearance up the
road, with the rapt absorption generally
given to an election parade at home" i 4
live noticed that you do" 4=s
"lou seen 50 much M interested in my
apeculations that Til tell you what the
wagons have in them almost without ex-
ception; two women with shade hats and
half grown boy sitting between them
and driving. The women looked at Us
rather curiously, but the boy had some-
thing better to do. This is the Sabbath
Stiffness Of the country. You've heard of
It, YOU know"
The devil you do! Mind your game,
and III mind mine. The words came
through the closed door that led into
The llvlng~room at our right.
Nes," said Dot, dryly, this is tho
Sabbath stiffness Of the country"
It will readily be seen by the mo
"'relesS reader Of the above convers
zion that Dot Vas given to snubbing me
It every turn. I feel it only due to my
self to state that | am really very
nice and very sensible; but If had not
been well grounded in the fac is Of the
case, she would often have contrived to
make me feel rather foolish. This time
however, it was di:.i:ui not to acknow-
ledge the forte other satire, and I laugh
Cd. Four men were playing euchre il,
the next room. They were only fellow
boarders in this olt-of-the- farm
house, and, as we had made out from
their conversation at the table, had
come ont for some shooting. They play
| vl cuchre during most Of their odd hours
and two OF them were always Quarreling
over the lcal the play, the deal, or the
score. One Of he others tries to clear
| the air by . genial laugh when words
wax too warm, but it is not effectual,
and the fourth contents himself with
| silence till, weary with contention, he
shouts Il said Pass What do you say
| This brings them back to business for
the time being.
! We had been in the house two days,
and we devoted much Of our time to
| *i,ccula,ions in regard to these four men.
! They took not the slightest apparent
! notice Of us, though we took breakfast,
| dinner, and supper at the same table
! and met them 1T every turn
| Do you think it would seem odd if
went and rang the door-bell opposite,
and asked: please, do any folks live
| here? And if they do, had they just as
lief come and stand around in the front
yarG IL few minute each day?'" ,.
~ don't know" said Dot, doubtfullv.
| 1t might seem odd in some places, but
perhaps here they always wait to be
ursed:''
II shall try it, if we stay here a week
| l must know if they always climb the
| back fence, so as not to disturb the front
walk, when they come to make real
| nelghOory sit-down visit, and why"
"Why do you let it worry you so?"
'Becanse can't help it. I've been in
TINS place two whole days, and I know
| no more about my neighbors than did
| the evening | canc-and l never want
! to know anything any more except abont
my nelghsors. I've laughed and been
contemptuous about the petty curiosity
! of country villages, but now-curious! II
! lived here six months I'd know just
| how much this girl gave for her new
! bonnet ribbon, and whether or not il
was a remnant, while ifa young man
! went to see her, I'd go and ring The
doo,r,,bel], and insist upon knowing his
| middle name."
! "We'll take drive tomorrow, if you
like, and see if we can't find out some.
thing ABOUT somebody"
The next day it ,rained, and my impa.
impatient and curious too, but she
wouldn't allow it. Certainly when the
sun came out the day after, she lost NO
time in telling Mr.. Stubbs that we want
I'd a carriage, with & horse we could