The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-12-23
MRS. BEARDsLEy,s NEIGHB0E.


When Mrs. Beardsley went to Dalton
to live, she knew very few people. She
lived in q city all her life, been educated
well, and came of a cultivated and rather
proud family; but she was not proud in
their fashion. She had always earned
her own living IN one way or another,
chiefly by writing for magazines and
newspapers Whatever the outside
world may think, this is not lucrative
business, and our friend had other peo-
pie to help on in life, so she had laid up
nothing; and after while she married
poor man and came to Dalton, flourish
ing country town to live. They went to
housekeeping in an old house. small and
inconvient, but of pleasant outlook, and,
once settled, began to look about them.
"Oh, Fred! do nope shall have
nice neighbors," said the little woman
as they sat at breakfast one day.
II don't know, Tina, how you will
like them; of course they will like
you"
''Thats very proper for you to say,
sir, laughed Mrs. Beardsley, ''but I'm
more apt to like people than they are to
like me-"
This was quite true. Justina Boards
ley was very honest, frank. unconyen-
tional and acute; she spoke her mind too
freely to be always comfortable friend.
Human nature loves fattery, 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
under fourteen. Her husband kept
country store and had some money. her
house was fine with shining furniture,
Brussels carpets, and always strictly
curtained, screened, and blinded from
sun and air. Mrs. Dean was very good
woman; 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 woman who did
her duty in these respects earnestly and
conseientiouslv, and never could under
stand why every one else was not equally
faithful.
Now, her new neighbor was. not q
strong woman, and her work was hard.
It frequently happened to her to have .
dreadful neuralgia headache ON Sunday,
and though she was accustomed In ner
youth to &c to church as punctiliously
as the minister himself, and had really
overworked herself in the city mission
| Sunday schools, she frequently now
spent the day of rest on her sofa, with
severe pangs in her head, and back
aching in every fibre. Nor did she send
Tommy, her little ve-year-old boy, to
Sunday school, for she preferred to
teach him at home.
seHaye you been to see Beardsley's s
| wife, my dear?" said Mr.. Dean, one
morning, about three weeks after the
| neighbors made their appearance.
"No, not yet. / thought I should not
| hurry. do not think she is a very good
person to be intimate with. She does
! not send her boy to Sabbath school, and
| hardly ever goes to church. I should
not wish to encourage such person to
visit us freely"
Mr.. Dean said no more. His wife's
chin was square, and her lips thin; she
| did call on the newcomer; was a little
| Mortified to find what common furniture
| she had, and how the sun streamed in Oh
| the oil three-ply carpet; and she went
away, leaving behind her chill such as
follows an iceberg. Mrs. Beardsley
knew she was disapproved of, and why,
for she was quick of discernment, and
knowing inwardly that she really did
try and wish above all things to be a
| Christian woman, she felt sad and sorry
that her light did not shine better. Then
| it occurred to her that, after all, God
knew about it, and knew she did like to
| go to church, and did not like to be kept
| at home with neuralgia and exhaustion,
| so she left this new trouble to Him.
| Down the street lived Mrs. Roberts, a
well-to-do mechanics wife.
81 see Beardsley's folks have moved
in" was her husbands comment.
Eyes they have; but shan't trouble
them with my company. She's city
woman, and writes for the papers be-
sides. She won't want TO see common
folks like me. Mrs. Dean will call on
| her, presume to say, and the rich folks
up town; but know enough not to go
where amt wanted, and moreover, ]
never did like such stuck-up folks"
81 don't know but what you re just as
good as she is, Marian; and if you come
to the money pint ont, could buy and
sell Fred Beardsley over ag'iu.'
"Well, guess you could; but she's
got her own click, and I shan't trouble
her. I believe in lettin' folks alon' il
they feel too smart for your kind.
never did push in where want wanted,
and I amt going to begin now
So Mrs Roberts stayed away, held her
parasoi to the east if her new neighbor
was coming that way, although the sun
blazed from the west, and passed by on
the other side. Mrs. Beardsley compre
hended the matter and laughed softly
she would some time undertake Mrs
Roberts ,lshe thought, and convert her to
her own theory of neighborhood; bui
that time had not yet come.
Next to Mrs. Dean lived Mrs. Morris
she was pleasing, energetic, talkative
| person; an indefatigable church goer
and benevolent soul: but she did not
care cent about any other denomina
| tion.
It did not affiict her much that Mrs
Beardsley was one of the inactive sisters
because she was Blank, if she had
been Blanker, Mrs. Morris would have
been as troubled as Mrs. Dean was
about the new neighbor, though on q
different principle.
As it was, she called on her after a
while; but her time was so taken up with
the Banker church. her house was SC
filled anl overrun with all the Blankel
congregation, from the minister down tC
the sexton; she had so many weddings
funerals, and societies to attend, thai
Mrs. Beardsley hardly saw her in hel
own house for the next year; although
Mrs Morris call was promptly re
turned.
/ Next to Mrs. Roberts lived the Waters