The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-05-19


80, of course" said Mrs. Chickwit,
glad of an opportunity to prove the
friendship she felt for her new neigh
Dor.
And, after kissing the baby once more,
off went Mrs. Bah with peck of pota-
toes in Mrs. Chickwit's basket.
"She's n pleasant creetur," mused
Mrs. Chickwit. 81 hope she'll come
over agin to-day. There's knock; per-
haps that's her."
mother wants to know" said Mrs.
Bab's oldest girl. Adeline, eff you won't
be kind enough just to fill the bag With
flour, for our'n amt come"
With the greatest pleasure" said
Mrs. Chickwit, filling the bag and off
went Adeline in high glee, but returned
immediately, and said she had forgotten
half of her errand.
"And which half was il. dear ?" said
Mrs. Ohickwit, smiling a whole world of
amiability at her.
She said she hated to borry, but if
you would lend her two fatirons and a
sarsepan, for ours amt"
so, yes indeed!"
With three or four eggs and q
chopplng knife.
"Glad can accommodate her.
"And n hammer aud few nails"
"There they are, said Mrs. Chickwit,
kindly. And away went the girl again.
CT know she's no borryer," reflected
Mrs. Chickwit, innoceutly, "for re-
member she said she hated borryers, and
had been bothered to death by 'em.
Poor soul No doubt she has lent more
than she will ever be able to get back
agin. l do like that woman, she's so
frank and sociable and don't seem afraid
she's intruding. How different from
Mrs. Barley. Why, she amt coming
in |"
Mrs. Bah stood outside this time, and,
with familiar grin, talked through the
window.
"Come agin, like bad penny, Mrs.
Chickwit. Now you must excuse me,
on SO short an acquaintance, but our
wood amt come, and poor Mr.. Bah. who
hates borrying as bad as I do, felt
ashamed to come over and ask you to
lend us few armfuls till ourn comes,
and as"
"Help yourself, help your-tell him
to come right over this minute and help
himself or l shall be affronted. L know
how it is when folks are moving; they
can't get all their things together as
soon rs they want to. Tell him to come
right over."'
"Well, will, since you say so, though
L know he feels ashamed to borry, and
as L am going over, to save few steps,
won't you just lend me half dozen
plates, for I've got to do our own baking
to-day and we haven't unpacked the
plates yet"
Mrs. Chickwit gave her the plates and
Mrs. Bah went home and told her hus-
band, who soon came lazily sauntering
across the field for the wood, of which
he took no less than six good-sized arm
fuls, and the last time carried over a saw
and an ak, which additions he borrowed
without leave or icense-perhaps be-
cause he was ashamed to ask. The
clouds from his inevitable pipe prevent
ed Mrs. Chickwit from seeing whether
he looked ashamed or not but she did
notice that it took him the remainder of
the day to saw and split the wood he
had carried over, and that when he had
done he carried the ak and saw into his
own house.
:" / suppose they'll return them all to-
gether," surmised Mrs. Chickwit, "kind,
easy, good-natured souls 1t must NOR
tify them to be obliged to borry, when
they hate it SO, and when they've just
moved in"
just as the sun set Mrs. Bab's other
daughter, Arabella, came over to ask, il
Mrs. Chickwits patience was not ex-
hausted, if she would lend her mother
enough pork to fry for supper, pound
or so of sugar, and pint or so of milk,
Gas she hated to borry, and their'n
hadn't come; all of which Mrs. Chick
wit, beginning to be little-justa little
-astonished, sent over to her social new
invitation for the whole family of Babs to
come over and spend the evening, for
her husband would be at home, and
they could have such nice time.
The Bah family accordingly did come
over, and general introduction took
place, and Mr. Chickwit took quite
fancy to Mrs. Bah, not having heard
anything of the incidents of the day,
and became so attentive to her that Mrs.
Chickwit began TO have new sensation
III regard to Mrs. Bab-jealousy, in
short-which being unsupported by the
easy-going Mrs. Bah, she SO cordially re-
ciprocated the Partially of Nh. Chick
wit, that when the parties separated for
the night quite scene took place in
the Chickwit family, and Mrs. Chickwit,
knowing how her husband detested bor-
rowers, disclosed all the borrowing Incl
dents of the day. And that shocking
revelation so Disguised the methodical
Mr.. Chickwit that, as his wife expected,
his whole feeling toward their new
neighbor became one OF distrust, and he
expressed ardent hope that she would
never call again, unless to return the
articles she had borrowed.
Having set herself at rest on the score
of her husbands affections, Mrs. Chick
wit felt herself free to continue her init
macy with Mrs. Bah, which she craved
by day for society's sake-taking care
not to invite her over in the evening.
And ere the first week was over, beside
sundry other articles of housekeeping
too numerous to mention, Mrs. Bah had
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